almond-crusted Creole salmon

It just takes a few ingredients and a few minutes to prepare this scrumptious dish. Tangy Greek yogurt with lemon zest and Creole seasoning creates a melt in your mouth flavor-filled salmon! I found it in a magazine but I can't recall which one.

Ingredients:

1 lb green beans
1 Tbsp. olive oil or coconut oil
salt and pepper
⅔-1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp (or more to taste) Creole seasoning
½ cup chopped or sliced almonds
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
whole salmon fillet or portions

1. Preheat oven to 450º. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, toss the green beans with oil and salt and pepper. Arrange on pan and bake 10 minutes.
2. In a bowl, stir together yogurt, Creole seasoning, and lemon peel. Spread onto fillet and top with almonds.
3. Push beans to one side of the pan and place salmon on the other side. Bake about 12 minutes or until salmon just begins to flake when you lift it from the bottom and it still has a hint of darker pink.

no bake almond joy snack bars

These little goodies are packed full of flavor and nutrition and make a satisfying snack. Adapted from howsweeteats.

Ingredients

⅔ cup oat bran
¼ cup ground flaxseed
¼ cup almond flour
⅓ cup unsweetened, flaked coconut
¼ cup sliced toasted almonds
¼ cup mini chocolate chips or cocoa nibs
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
pinch of salt
¼ cup creamy almond butter
¼ cup honey
2-3 Tbsp. coconut oil (or 2 Tbsp coconut oil and 2 Tbsp coconut butter)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

to top:
⅓ cup unsweetened, flaked coconut
⅓ cup sliced toasted almonds

1. In a large bowl combine the oat bran, flax, almond flour, coconut, almonds, chocolate, chia seeds, and salt.
2. In a saucepan, combine the almond butter, honey, coconut oil and vanilla over low heat. Stir until melted and smooth. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring swell until a wet dough forms. Press into and 8 x 8 greased or parchment lined pan and top with the coconut and almond pressing to adhere. Let cool and cut into bars. Store in fridge.

chicken saltimbocca

These tasty prosciutto wrapped chicken tenders are drizzled with a delicious wine sauce and are actually quite easy and quick to make. From Food and Wine.

makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 lb. thick asparagus
8 chicken tenders, pounded ⅛ in thick
salt and ground pepper
16 sage leaves
8 slices of prosciutto (you can also substitute pancetta or bacon)
flour for dusting (I used spelt but any flour even gluten free or tapioca or potato starch should work well)
1 cup dessert wine such as sherry or moscato
½ cup chicken stock
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

1. Cook the asparagus in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes. Drain and cool under cold running water; drain and pat dry.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place 2 sage leaves on top. Wrap each in a slice of prosciutto, pressing to adhere. Put the flour in a large dish and dredge the chicken, dusting off the excess.
3. Set a rack over a baking sheet. Heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet. Add half of the chicken and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until golden and almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the rack and repeat with remaining chicken.
4. Add the wine and stock to skillet and boil over moderately high heat until the liquid is reduced by half, 4 minutes. Whisk in the butter. Pour half of the sauce into a bowl. Add half the chicken and asparagus to the skillet and cook over moderate heat until hot, 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken and asparagus to a platter and pour the sauce on top. Repeat with remaining sauce, chicken and asparagus. and top with parsley.

shirataki noodles in a creamy peanut sauce

Shirataki noodles are made from konjac root. They are largely composed of water and glucomannan, a water-soluble dietary fiber, are very low in carbohydrates and calories, and have little flavor of their own. There is some evidence that glucomannancan plays a role in blood sugar control and can improve cholesterol control. They are available in many grocery stores, walmart, health food stores, Vitacost.com or amazon.com. These noodles work well in this Asian-style dish full of veggies in a delicious peanut sauce.  The kids really enjoyed this one especially the noodles which are very fun (a little too fun perhaps)to slurp up and see how long they can be. Adapted from The Endless Meal.

serves 6

Ingredients

2 packages shirataki noodles

2 carrots, cut into matchsticks

2 stalks celery, sliced

½-1 onion, sliced

a few handfuls cherry tomatoes, cut in halves or quarters (optional)

a few handfuls sugar snap or snow peas, halved

green onion, for garnish

oil for sautéing

for the sauce:

1 can coconut milk

¼-½ cup peanut butter

1 cup diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)

3 Tbsp. ginger, grated

4 Tbsp. soy sauce (I use Bragg Liquid Aminos)

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (1 lime)

1 Tbsp. curry powder

2 tsp. sriracha or other hot sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

pinch of salt

1. Prepare the noodles according to package directions.

2. Add all the sauce ingredients to a small pot over medium high heat until it comes to a simmer. Remove from heat.

3. Put a splash of oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add all the veggies and cook for a few minutes until they have softened slightly but still have their bright color and a little crunch.

4. Add noodles and sauce to veggies and toss to coat. Serve in bowls topped with slices of green onion.

Eggplant Parmesan

Pretty yummy! Fresh mozzarella and fresh basil bring this recipe to a new level of deliciousness. Recipe adapted from Food and Wine.

serves 8

Ingredients

1 28-oz can whole tomatoes
2 Tbsp. olive oil plus more more for frying
Salt
flour, for dredging (I used spelt but you could use any kind even potato or tapioca starch should work fine)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs (I made my own with sprouted grain bread, salt, and herbs)
2 lb eggplant, cut lengthwise into ¼-in thick slices
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
12 oz. fresh mozzarella (you may want more because you WILL want to eat some)
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup basil leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 350º. In a blender or food processor, puree the tomatoes with their juices and 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Season with salt.
2. Put the flour, eggs and bread crumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Dredge in flour; shake off excess, dip in egg, letting any excess drip off, then coat with bread crumbs.
3. Line a rack with paper towels. In large nonstick skillet, heat ⅛ inch of olive oil until shimmering. Cooking in batches over moderate heat, add some of the smashed garlic and eggplant spices and fry until golden brown and tender (a couple minutes per side). Transfer to paper towels to drain and discard garlic. Repeat until remaining eggplant slices and garlic are used up, wiping out skillet and adding more oil as needed.
4. Lightly oil a 10-12 inch springform pan (a regular pan will do as well but you won't be able to slice it as easily). Layer as follows:
  layer 1:
  eggplant
  ½ cup tomato sauce spread on top
  a few mozzarella slices and sprinkle of parmesan
  ⅓ basil leaves torn and scattered on top
  layer 2: repeat
  layer 3: repeat
  layer 4:
  eggplant
  thick layer tomato sauce
  remaining parmesan
5. Wrap entire pan in foil and set on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 1 hour or until heated through.
6. Increase oven temperature to 400º. Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before unmolding and slicing.