Faux Potato Salad

Cauliflower disguised as potatoes…

This “potato salad” is low in fat and carbs, so it’s a great choice for low-carb dieters and diabetics alike. 

   

Cauliflower, having few calories, and being a creamy vegetable, is a perfect substitution for potatoes and rice.  Other than cauliflower, this salad is filled with a great mix of ingredients ~ olives and dill pickles, carrots, radishes and celery for good flavors, textures and colors.

It’s healthy and a tasty side for grilled meat or fish!

Faux Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

¼ cup green olives, sliced

¼ cup thinly sliced radishes

¼ cup chopped dill pickle

¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon seasoned pepper

Method:

In a large saucepan, add cauliflower and bring to a boil, cook until tender.

Drain and rinse with cold water, pat dry and place in a large bowl.

Add ingredients through dill pickle and toss.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining ingredients:  mayo, mustard, salt and pepper. 

Add to cauliflower mixture; toss to coat.

Refrigerate until serving.

It’s a keeper!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda's blog, My Kind of Cooking, for her great cookbooks, tips and delicious recipes!

Cuban-Style Spicy Grilled Salmon

I was deciding how to cook the salmon fillets I bought, when I came across this good recipe.

It’s adapted from a Three Guys from Miami recipe.  The marinade infuses the salmon with delicious spices.  This recipe works great with about any type of fish fillet ~ any fish you like with the skin on.  The skin will keep the fillets from shrinking and will keep the fish from sticking to the grill. 

This is a keeper and my go-to marinade for fish! 

Cuban-Style Spicy Grilled Salmon 

Ingredients:

2 (6-ounce) fillets of salmon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (or cilantro)
½ teaspoon oregano
3 green onions, sliced
1 scant teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper

Method:

Place marinade ingredients in a large plastic bag and mix well.
Add salmon to mixture and marinade for up to 2 hours, no longer.
Place on hot grill, skin side up, just long enough to put grill marks on the flesh.
Flip and move to cooler side of grill, and cook on low heat until the salmon flakes with a fork.
Serve 


ENJOY!

Italian Vegetable Bake

This tasty veggie dish is perfect for utilizing the plethora of fresh vegetables in the market now.

Layered along with mushrooms in this baked dish are zucchini, tomatoes, and onions, drizzled with Italian dressing and fresh basil. Vary the vegetables and herbs according to your taste.  Maybe you'd prefer fresh oregano, bell peppers, fresh peas or corn.  Add a little minced garlic, plus seasoned pepper and bake.

This good recipe is adapted from the Heart Association Cookbook.  It’s jam-packed full of goodness and a great way to fit your veggies in for the day ~ plus, it’s colorful!

Italian Vegetable Bake 


Ingredients:

Olive oil cooking spray
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 zucchini, sliced
3 tomatoes, sliced
3 green onions, sliced
4 tablespoons light Italian salad dressing
1 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons seasoned pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with olive oil spray.
Make one layer each of mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes and onions.
In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients.
Drizzle over the vegetables.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
To serve, use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables from the liquid.

ENJOY!

Be sure to visit my friend; Linda's blog, My Kind of Cooking, for her great cookbooks, tips and delicious recipes!

Shrimp Tacos with Coleslaw

We really like shrimp tacos ~ but the kicker here is the great tangy slaw that only makes them better!  The fringe benefit is that the tacos have fewer calories, since neither sour cream, nor shredded cheese is needed.

They were a big hit with us!  The tangy dressing on the slaw was perfect mingling with the shrimp.  I know, for sure, these tacos will be making a repeat performance here many times… 

The slaw makes a delicious side dish for ribs and burgers too!

Coleslaw

Mix together:

2 cups shredded cabbage

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

¼ cup chopped parsley

For dressing, mix together:

3 tablespoons sugar (I used Splenda)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used Canola)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon seasoned pepper (my addition)

Add dressing to shredded cabbage mixture about an hour before serving.

Chill

For Shrimp Tacos with Coleslaw:

Simply heat corn or flour tortillas and spoon in boiled (or roasted) shrimp and the cole slaw.

ENJOY!

Be sure to visit my friend; Linda's blog, My Kind of Cooking, for her great cookbooks, tips and delicious recipes!

Cauliflower and Roasted Corn with Chili Powder and Lime

This recipe immediately caught my attention ~ 2 of my favorite veggies, cauliflower and corn!  

I was really surprised with the goodness of this recipe the first time I tried it, and thought it was a tasty mix of ingredients.  The recipe is adapted from the “Heart Association Cookbook.”  I’ve made it with corn on the cob roasted in the oven; corn roasted in husks on the grill, and canned corn also.  Use whichever method you prefer, it’s good any method.

The recipe calls for cooking the cauliflower in chicken broth for added flavor, but what I really like in this dish are the seasonings ~ chili powder and lime which compliment the cauliflower and corn perfectly, (I added more chili powder), plus pimentos for color. 

It’s a delicious way to enjoy fresh cauliflower and corn.  I hope you like it too!

Cauliflower and Roasted Corn with Chili Powder and Lime

Ingredients:

2 ears of corn, husks and silk removed

4 cups of cauliflower (about ½ medium head)

¼ cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

2 ounce jar diced pimentos, drained

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon light margarine

¼ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place corn on baking sheet and roast, uncovered for 15 minutes.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing off cob, and set aside.

In a large saucepan, cook cauliflower in broth until almost tender.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients.

Stir the pimento mixture and roasted corn into the cauliflower.

Cook over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes until warmed through and cauliflower is tender.

It’s tasty!

Be sure to visit my friend; Linda's blog, My Kind of Cooking, for her great cookbooks, tips and delicious recipes!

Spicy Shrimp with Squash

We like shrimp not only because it tastes good, but also because it’s quick and easy to prepare.

I pulled zucchini squash, yellow squash, and green onions out of the refrigerator and sautéed them for a minute with a little minced garlic.  To spice it up, I added Rotel tomatoes with green chiles, and plenty of seasonings. 

It had a light spicy sauce ~ perfect for shrimp and fresh veggies.  A quick dinner that we really enjoyed, and I hope you do too!

Spicy Shrimp with Squash

Ingredients:

1 pound shrimp, deveined and

Olive oil cooking spray

1 zucchini squash, sliced

1 yellow squash, sliced

4 green onions, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (10-ounces) Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles

1 tablespoon Ancho Chile Pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons corn starch

2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped

Method:

Coat large skillet with cooking spray.

Over medium-high heat, add squash, onions and garlic.

Cook for 2-3 minutes until just tender.

Add tomatoes and cook for a minute.

Stir in seasonings and lemon juice, combining well for 2 minutes.

Add shrimp and cook for another 2 minutes until no longer pink.

Serve over linguine, or your favorite pasta.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

ENJOY!

Be sure to visit my friend; Linda's blog, My Kind of Cooking, for her great cookbooks, tips and delicious recipes!

Hello Friends! I’m Happy to be Back!

Foremost, I want to thank all of you for your kind comments and emails.  I was amazed by all of them ~ you are kind, caring folks, and I appreciated hearing from every one of you!

our selfie

I am so happy to be back! 

And, I’m thrilled to say that Bill is doing mighty fine! He’s like a new man ~ about as good as new!  He’s eating healthy and is on an exercise program, with me following suit.

He was elated to return to his golf league in June, and realized with his game last week, he hasn’t lost his edge ~ he and his partner had the low score for the week!  

Summer has been busy, with the best part being when our good friends, Martha and Rich, from the sunny state of Florida, came to visit for several days.  

We haven’t seen them for a while, but the minute they walked through the door, it was like we picked right up where we left off. It was great! 

As for my blog, I’m still passionate about cooking, with it being healthier now.   

I’m balancing our plates to nourish us with fresh, whole healthy foods, allowing me to share recipes with you of:

Simple ~ Nutritious ~ Delicious ~ Homemade food!

Here’s a recipe for savory pork chops that have a great smoky flavor, thanks to the spicy, easy to make rub.

I cooked them in a skillet, with no added oil, just cooking spray.  They are wonderful grilled also.  The blend of spices suited us fine; you might prefer to add salt to the mix.  

It doesn’t get much easier than this ~ I’m thinking I might try the rub on grilled chicken next time.

They hit the spot!

Smoky Pork Chops
Adapted from allrecipes 

Ingredients:

½ teaspoon Penzy’s Sunny Spain Seasoning or lemon pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons ground paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 bone-in pork chops, fat trimmed

Method:

Mix first 7 ingredients, up to chops, in a small rub.
Rinse the pork chops in cold water and apply rub to them.
Let stand for 10 minutes.
Heat a non-stick skillet and spray liberally with cooking spray.
Cook until done, depending on thickness.
Serve 

ENJOY! 

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and delicious easy recipes!