Tostaditas with Black Bean & Scallop Ceviche

Tostaditas with Black Bean & Scallop Ceviche
(sadly, no picture available since we ate it all up!)

For the black bean spread:
original Joelen recipe
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
2 tablespoons finely minced cilantro
3 tablespoons light sour cream
salt & pepper to taste

In a bowl, mash black beans to paste, leaving it slightly chunky for texture.
Add remaining ingredients and fold in until combined and incorporated; set aside.

For the ceviche:
adapted ceviche recipe courtesy of Food Network
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cilantro
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 pound fresh diver-harvested sea scallops or any other fresh scallop of high quality
1/4 cup diced red or yellow onion
1/2 minced, seeded jalapeno
1 plum tomato, seeded, finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh minced cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine lime zest, juice, and spices. Set mixture aside. Clean and wash the scallops, then cut each 1 in 1/2 lengthwise. Add scallops to lime juice mixture, stir well and set aside in cooler. Add the vegetables and cilantro to the scallop mixture. Stir well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and chill at least 3 hours.

To prepare & assemble the Tostaditas:
prepared black bean spread
prepared scallop ceviche above
tortilla chips
1/2 cup sour cream
1-2 tablespoons water

Spread black bean spread on a tortilla chip.
Top with scallop ceviche.
Combine sour cream and water in a small bowl and drizzle over the top of the tostadita.
Serve immediately or have guests make them as they eat.

Lemon Honey Yogurt Muffins

The following recipe was featured in my Muffin Swap event. You can read about it and view other muffin recipes HERE.

Jennifer’s Lemon Honey Yogurt Muffins

Recipe adapted from HERE

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablepoon grated lemon zest

Lemon Syrup:
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tins. In a small bowl stir togther flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl combine sugar, honey, eggs, yogurt, melted butter, and lemon zest and beat thoroughly. Add dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 12-15 minutes or until delicately browned and tester comes out clean. Prepare syrup ingredients in small saucepan and boil one minute. Set aside. When muffins are done, poke tops with toothpick. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of syrup over top of each muffin.

Let cool a few minutes then remove from pan. Serve warm.

WW: Honey Teriyaki Salmon

I’m finally getting back into my kitchen groove with a healthy twist! Tonight I’m solo for dinner while the hubby is working. So for dinner, I enjoyed a flavorful and healthy dish of honey teriyaki salmon which I served with sauteed spinach and caramelized mushrooms. So simple and delicious! Oh… and with an effort to get better quality pictures, hopefully some of the changes I’ve made will try to do a little justice to the recipes I prepare!

Honey Teriyaki Salmon
courtesy of Weight Watchers Best Eats Cookbook

4 (1/4 lb) skinless salmon fillets
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon chopped, peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced

Place all the ingredients in a zip-close plastic bag. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag; turn to coat the salmon. Refridgerate, turning the bag occassionally, at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.

Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray. Preheat the grill to medium-high or prepare a medium-high fire. Alternatively, spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and place over medium-high heat.

Remove the salmon from the marinade; discard the marinade.

Place the salmon on the grill rack. Grill until the salmon us just opaque in the center, 4-5 minutes on each side. Alternately, place the salmon in the skillet and cook until the salmon is just opaque in the center, 4-5 minutes on each side.

Serves 4
Serving side: 1 fillet
WW Points value: 4 points

Honey Rosemary Chicken

The follow recipe was shared at my Balsamic Vinegar Tasting Event. You can read and view links to other recipes that were featured HERE.

Honey Rosemary Chicken
shared at the event by Joelen
recipe from here

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup basalmic vinegar
1-2 tbsp dried rosemary
2 tbsp olive oil
6 skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix honey, vinegar, rosemary and oil. Place chicken in resealable plastic bag. Pour in mixture. Seal and turn the bag over to coat the chicken. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place chicken in a 9×13 baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. ake for about one hour, basting occasionally with marinade.

Spicy, Sweet & With an Attitude

I was in the mood for something fruity & sweet for dinner and found this recipe for Apricot Honey Chicken. The recipe looked like it needed a bit more complexity and attitude. So with a few changes noted below, we had success! Dinner definitely hit the spot because the sweet flavors of the honey and apricot preserves paired well with the bite and kick of the ginger and chili paste. I served this with brown jasmine rice and steamed broccoli.

Here’s my adapted recipe for Spicy Apricot Honey Chicken:

1/3 cup dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
4 bone in chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon of Thai chili paste
salt & pepper to taste

1. Blend mustard, preserves, ginger and chili paste. Marinate chicken in mustard mixture for at least an hour or even overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheet with foil or parchment. Place marinated chicken on lined baking sheet and baste with marinade.

3. Bake chicken in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until juices run clear.

*You can also grill the chicken if you’d like!

Blueberry Hand Pies w/Lavender Honey Whipped Cream

And to end on a sweet note, I have been inspired by all my fellow bloggers who participate in the Tuesdays With Dorie (TWD) blogging event. Today many bloggers who participate featured Blueberry Pie. As much as I like pie, I don’t like having a whole pie sitting around at home. In fact, individual servings are better for us since it helps with portion control. With the TWD as my inspiration, I made Blueberry Hand Pies with Lavender Honey Whipped Cream.

Here are the Blueberry Hand Pies with Lavender Honey Whipped Cream recipe I made, adapted from this one from Food Network and Epicurious:

For Filling:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Prepared pie crust

Finishing Touches:
Egg yolk, lightly beaten
Turbinado sugar

Combine flour, sugar, blueberries and almond extract and stir gently until evenly coated.

Working with 1 round at a time, roll pie dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut circles, approximately 5-inches in diameter using a plate or bowl as a guide. You should have a total of 8 circles.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of blueberry filling into the center of each circle. Carefully fold circle over to form a half moon shape. Using a fork, dipped lightly in flour, press tines along the open edge to seal. Transfer hand pies to a parchment paper lined sheet pan and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove your hand pies from the refrigerator and brush with egg yolk, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

For whipped cream:
1 pint heavy whipping cream, cold
1 tablespoon dried lavender
1 heaping tablespoon honey, slightly warmed

While waiting for the pies to cook, process the dried lavendar in your spice grinder until its powdered. In a cold bowl, add the powdered lavender, honey and whipping cream. Whip with a hand mixer until you get nice stiff peaks. Use to garnish your hand pies once cooled.

**I’m also submitting my Blueberry Hand Pies w/Lavender Honey Whipped Cream to the Living La Vida Local blogging event hosted by Beth of Muffin Love! I used organic & local blueberries for this dessert and thought it would be fitting for the event. Be sure to check out the round up next week for additional ways to use local and fresh produce.**

Just Grill It!

It’s a gorgeous Saturday here in Chicago and we’re taking advantage of our grill. For lunch, I made this Dijon Tarragon Grilled Chicken which used up some random ingredients I had on hand. I served this with a portabello mushroom & spinach pilaf too!
Here’s the recipe for Dijon Tarragon Grilled Chicken:

1/3 cup chopped fresh (or dried) tarragon
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Chicken pieces or boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine first 5 ingredients in processor. Process until smooth. Place chicken pieces in 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Pour tarragon-mustard mixture over chicken; toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour or refrigerate 2 to 4 hours, turning occasionally.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Place chicken on barbecue. Cover and grill until chicken is almost cooked through, turning every 5 minutes and basting with marinade, about 30 minutes. Grill without basting until chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes longer. Serve chicken hot, warm, or at room temperature.

I’m also submitting this to the Eat Healthy: Protein Rich blogging event, hosted by Sangeeth. Check out her blog for some great recipes too!

The hubby is off to work this afternoon so I’m flying solo for dinner. Since it’s just me, rather than having a full meal I’m snacking. One of my favorite snacks are nachos… or anything crunchy & salty that I can dip into something preferably cheesy.

I had some leftover ingredients from yesterday’s corn & black bean salad, as well as a package of Trader Joe’s guacamole. In my pantry I had a tub of On The Border Cheese. My random snack/dinner? A five layer dip w/chips!

3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup guacamole
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup shredded cheese or prepared nacho cheese
1/4 cup pico de gallo salsa

In a pie plate, layer the above ingredients in order, with the sour cream on the bottom.
Enjoy with tortilla chips & a margarita!

Sweet as Honey

Tonight I was to host a honey tasting and dinner, however due to schedule conflicts, it was cancelled. However I did get a couple recipes from bloggers who shared dishes using honey as a main ingredient! Of the bloggers, the winner of the blog event giveaway is Kim of Live, Love, Laugh, Eat! Kim won a great cookbook called, Covered in Honey. Hopefully it will inspire her to use this great ingredient more. Congratulations Kim!

Cathy Twomey’s Chicken
submitted by Kim of Live, Love, Laugh, Eat!

2 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken
1/2 cup clear honey
2 tsp. curry powder
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a small saucepan and heat over low heat till well combined. Cool. Season chicken with salt and pepper; loosen skin with fingers and make two one-inch cuts in skin (do not cut meat) to allow marinade to get to meat. Pour marinade over chicken and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

There are various ways to cook this. It’s done when an instant-read thermometer reads 160 degrees F.

In a skillet or saute pan: Brown chicken well on both sides, turn heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes till done.

In a grill pan: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook chicken on both sides in oven-proof grill pan (I used cast iron), till well marked. Place pan in oven and bake for 20 minutes or till done.

Sweet Baked Tortilla Chips
submitted by Kristy of Kristy’s Recipes
recipe adapted from Amber’s Delectable Delights

Tortillas (any size)
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray
Cinnamon Sugar
Honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a pizza cutter, cut the tortilla in half. Cut in half again. Then cut each half in half. You should end up with 8 pieces per tortilla.

Take a tortilla and spray it lightly with butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Arrange pieces on a pizza pan in a single layer. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until tortillas are crisp.

Drizzle with honey.

Variations: -Also great baked with apple butter on top.

Sweet As Honey…

Tonight’s dinner was an easy one – honey mustard pork with roasted potatoes & garlic spinach. I marinated the pork for a few hours, chopped up & seasoned my potatoes then baked both in the oven. As that baked, I sauteed some spinach on the stovetop with some minced garlic & olive oil. Voila! Dinner is ready….Here is my recipe for the honey mustard marinade:

1 part honey
1 part yellow prepared mustard
1 part praline mustard glaze

Combine equal parts of the above ingredients and whisk together well. If you cannot find praline mustard glaze, you can substitute it with pure maple syrup. I added it in for an extra depth of sweetness. This is great on pork and chicken!

Random, but Good!

The recent time adjustment of changing back our clocks is still one we’re getting used to. By the time I get home from work, I sometimes feel too exhausted to cook because it feels like it’s later than it really is. Tonight was one of those nights. So with 2 chicken breasts staring at me and some leftover rice my husband made earlier in the day, I felt like a culinary McGyver. The end result? Honey Mustard Chicken with Confetti Rice.Here’s my recipe for Honey Mustard Chicken:

2 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons honey
garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper to taste
1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 375.
In a shallow dish, combine honey & mustard.
In another shallow dish, place panko.
Season chicken with spices to your tastes.
Coat chicken with honey mustard mixture.
Dregde chicken in panko.
Place chicken on lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake chicken in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes (depending on thickness) or until done.

To make the Confetti Rice, I sauteed onion & garlic in a little oil. When softened I added finely diced bell peppers – red, green and yellow. After the peppers heated up, I added the cold rice and folded it in with the sauteed ingredients. Heat until warmed through, and seasoned with garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste.