Moroccan Salmon Salad

Yikes! This recipe is from May - still editing photos, eek! - but it's a great to time to share it. The flavors are so unexpected and refreshing! Such a great meal to kick off your week, and so very simple to do. Thanks to Jourdan for posting this, and for Ally, who gave her the original recipe!

Moroccan Salmon Salad
Recipe by Whole New Mom, via Jourdan Leigh in the Kitchen
Serves 2

Salmon w/ Dijon Cream Sauce + Garlic Butter Breadcrumbs

If you liked this Tilapia with Toasted Basil Butter Breadcrumbs, you will most definitely like this modified salmon version. I've made another version of Salmon with Creamy Dijon sauce, but today's recipe absolutely outshines it. There are a few extra steps and a few different ingredients, but it is so worth it. This salmon was creamy and packed with flavor. Served alongside some sauteed zucchini, and you have a fabulous meal. Cheers!

Salmon w/ Dijon Cream Sauce + Garlic Butter Breadcrumbs
Recipe adapted from How Sweet Eats, via Jourdan Leigh in the Kitchen
Serves 2; can be easily multiplied

Crispy Avocado BLT Salad

I'm going to keep this short and sweet, much like this recipe. Crispy Avocado is fantastic. And easy. And going to be making many appearances in the coming months, thanks to this amazing salad. The drizzle and dressing compliment all the tasty treats in this perfectly. The entire salad came together in less than 15 minutes. Do yourself a favor, and put this on your list to make this week!

Crispy Avocado BLT Salad
Recipe by soufflebombay, via Tasty Kitchen
Serves 2

Tilapia with Toasted Basil Butter Breadcrumbs

+ Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic White Wine Sauce

Or, as John and I called it, the tastiest tilapia we have yet to encounter...Seriously.

I've always enjoyed tilapia, but I've never had it like this. It was rich, flavorful, decadent and absolutely fantastic. In spite of that adjective overload, I'd use more if I could. I will hands-down make this again. I really think it would be a great dish for company, and hopefully I will have the chance to do that soon!

While the ingredients and preparation instructions may appear, at first, a bit lengthy, I assure you this is very doable for the average cook. I highly suggest combining the tilapia with the pasta and sauce listed below (and pictured!). They come together easily, including preparation timing. Enjoy!

[I adapted the tilapia from Jessica at How Sweet It Is and the pasta sauce from My Bizzy Kitchen (and one of my most popular posts).]

Tilapia with Toasted Basil Butter Breadcrumbs + 
Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic White Wine Sauce
Recipes adapted from How Sweet It Is and My Bizzy Kitchen
Serves 2 to 4

Cheeseburgers + Dijon Aioli

In the last year, John and I cut out a lot of red meat from our diet. I almost always substitute ground turkey, and we haven't felt deprived. The only time I really want actual beef? Burgers. I know turkey burgers can be great, but I usually crave a burger, burger.

As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I wanted to play around with it. John asked me to try incorporating mushrooms a bit more - I'm not a huge fan - and I thought this recipe seemed like good baby steps. I broke down the steps below, so you can feel free to omit, add or play around with the toppings however you'd like.

I loved how the arugula, cheeses and dijon aioli complemented the burger. The whole thing had a "fancy" feel to it, and I'll definitely make these again, especially with summer weather on the way. If you're looking for a fresh burger idea, this is definitely the one for you. Cheers!

Cheeseburgers + Dijon Aioli
Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is
Yields 4 burgers

{Slow-Cooker} Bolognese Sauce

 

I have loved bolgonese sauce since I was little. I ordered it whenever we ate at California Pizza Kitchen, so it's surprising this is the first time I've attempted it myself. It was worth the wait, though, as this recipe was so, so good! I made some modifications, including omitting half and half and pancetta, as well as swapping ground turkey for ground beef. John and I both loved this, so I can't say it was missed - and it lightened it up. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Bolognese Sauce
Recipe adapted from Skinny Taste, via Jourdan Leigh in the kitchen
Serves 4-6, depending on portions

Easy Baked Chicken with Peanut Sauce

I have a super versatile recipe for you today! This would be great as an appetizer, or as an entree as we enjoyed it. John's brother JB came over so I could help him work on his resume, and I made this new-to-me recipe for us to enjoy with some quinoa fried rice. It was a great combination, and something we'll definitely make again. The sauce is a snap to whip together, and I'm thinking of trying it with some other main dishes. I'll keep you posted!

Baked Chicken with Peanut Sauce
Recipe adapted from "Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce" via People magazine
Serves 2-3, depending on portions

Seared Ahi Tuna Salad with Wasabi Vinaigrette

I feel like a blogging machine this week! I've been so excited about all the tasty new recipes that I've tried - and sunlight past 6pm! I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel - or day! - and could not be happier. Hopefully this will continue and you'll see more frequent posts heading your way.

This salad was fantastic. I mean, really, really good. I adapted this recipe from Rachael Ray and absolutely loved the flavor combination. John told me right away that I needed to "add it to the rotation" and not to let him forget about it. Sometimes I go through phases where I make tons of new recipes that we love, and then we completely forget about them. I guess I should peruse my own previous posts more often, huh? :)

Seared Ahi Tuna Salad with Wasabi Vinaigrette
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray
Serves 2-4, depending on portions (we used 1/2 tuna steak each to lighten it up) 

Balsamic-Glazed Salmon

Here is a simple, fast and tasty recipe for you to add to your meal plan! I whipped this up because I had everything needed in my pantry/refrigerator before we left for vacation. John and I were surprised at how much we enjoyed this, and how much flavor was packed into this sauce. Give it a try on a night where you want a healthy meal, but don't have tons of time - or extra ingredients!

Balsamic-Glazed Salmon
Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis, via People magazine
Serves 4 

Thai Crunch Chicken Salad

This definitely goes on the best meals/salads EVER list. John and I could not get enough of this salad! It was filled with flavors and had a wonderful crunch to it. We gobbled it up immediately and then made even more the same week. Not to sound obsessive, but it's on the meal plan for this week...again. Jessica has certainly outdone herself again, and I cannot recommend this recipe enough!

Thai Crunch Chicken Salad
Recipe by How Sweet, via Jourdan Leigh in the Kitchen
Serves about 4

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Those of you who faithfully follow my blog may know that my girlfriends and I love to get together for monthly dinner parties. Well, it had been quite some time since we last got together - a baby, an engagement, wedding to plan and big move, to name a few - have certainly kept us busy!

Jourdan remedied this by having us over last Saturday, and we were able to catch up, enjoy her fabulous cooking and play with sweet baby Reese! Jourdan made two pizzas, and both were to die for. I could not stop thinking about the chicken Alfredo pizza she made, and I vowed to recreate it at home. Enter this delicious dish and perfect weekend meal. A huge thanks to Jourdan for the inspiration (and perfect girls night!).

Note: I might make two of these. John devoured half of it Sunday night, and had finished the remaining piece by noon the next day. Needless to say it was a huge hit here - and worth the indulgence! :)

Chicken Alfredo Pizza
Recipe inspired by Jourdan Leigh in the kitchen, Alfredo sauce by The Pioneer Woman
Yields 1 pizza

Salmon with Zesty Citrus Salsa

Happy Tuesday, friends! I'm not sure what the weather is like your area now, but it is a dark and gloomy day here in Indy. Somehow this seemed like the perfect recipe to share, since it's so bright and colorful, and all the fresh produce really makes me think of summer. 

So in addition to getting back into the blog recently (yay!), I've also gotten back into Pinterest and all the visual inspiration that comes with it. This recipe is one of those gems, and we went crazy over all the flavors. It felt light and refreshing, and came together in a flash. I will definitely be making it again!

Salmon with Zesty Citrus Salsa
Recipe adapted from Self
Serves 2-4, depending on how much salsa you use

Seared Scallop Salad w/ Orange Champagne Vinaigrette

As I hinted at here, there is not much to say about this salad other than it is fantastic. I almost flinch as I type that because I used to be the person rolling her eyes after someone told me about a "great" salad. However, as I've developed better eating habits I've come to appreciate a really flavorful and filling salad. Even John raved about it - "Mmmm, good cow food!" (aka "rabbit food")

The original recipe for this, courtesy of Skinnytaste, used grapefruit instead of orange. I found orange champagne vinegar for a couple dollars at Trader Joe's, and John isn't the biggest grapefruit fan, so the modification were perfect for us. I do apologize for the lack of step-by-step pictures, but I think you'll find this recipe easy to follow. This came together in a flash, in part thanks to how quickly scallops cook, and is a perfect summer meal.

Seared Scallop Salad w/ Orange Champagne Vinaigrette 
Recipe adapted from Skinnytaste
Serves 2-4, depending on portions

Quinoa Cakes w/ Spicy Marinara Sauce

Happy Monday, friends! I hope you had a very restful and enjoyable last weekend of July. We had a wonderful time at John's lake house this weekend, and we were able to spend so much time with his extended family. We only see each other once a year for our lake reunion, so it really is a lovely time.

Now that we're home? I can't believe I go back to school in two weeks! It's crunch time, and I am busy, busy making sure everything is ready for the start of the new year. Today's agenda includes some strength training at the gym, grocery shopping, a target run, and...reorganizing our closets. We'll see how far I get on that...

I stumbled across this recipe one night while jumping from blog to blog, looking for something to stand out. I bookmarked it, and it was perfect for when we got back from vacation because I had all the ingredients on hand. Much like this recipe.

Anyhoo, this is packed with awesome flavor! John went on and on about these, even saying they tasted like breadsticks with the dipping sauce. I was crazy about a filling and tasty meatless meal. Plus, it's a pretty cheap meal, too. Let me know what you think!

Quinoa Cakes with Spicy Marinara Dipping Sauce
Recipe for Quinoa Cakes adapted from Let's Dish, via Kitchen Trial and Error
Recipe for Spicy Marinara Dipping Sauce by Call Me Mrs. Rapp 
Yields about 8 cakes

Linguine with Tomato Clam Sauce

This is a simple and delicious meal from the cookbook my wonderful mother-in-law gave me for Christmas. She knows how much I love having pictures of recipes, and this cookbook is filled with 1,000 recipes - AND all have a picture. Love it!

I made this recipe when we got back from vacation a few weeks ago. We didn't have much of anything left in our pantry or fridge, but we happened to have all the ingredients needed for this dish. It was very light for a pasta dish, and a nice, quick summer meal.

Also, apparently I was spent from taking so many vacation pictures because I only took two shots of this dish. Rest assured, you won't need step-by-step pictures for this simple dish.

Linguine with Tomato Clam Sauce
Recipe adapted from The Illustrated Kitchen Bible
Serves 4

BBQ Chicken Salad

Happy first day of summer! In honor of this glorious day, I decided to make a yummy salad that screamed summer to me. And let me tell you, this salad is one of the best I've had. Well, that John and I have both had, because he raved about it all night.

This salad is packed with so much flavor, that even 3 hours after eating, I'm still satisfied and quite full. Though, full disclosure, I did have some PBF saltine sandwiches for dessert. Anyoo...I guarantee you and your family will love this. It is filling and beyond tasty. We're already planning to have it for lunch tomorrow!

PS: Do yourself a favor, and make it with the blue cheese vinaigrette. Jackpot!

BBQ Chicken Salad
Recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod, via Jourdan Leigh in the kitchen
Serves 2

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

This is the delightful dressing that I paired with this fantastic BBQ Chicken Salad. I made a few modifications to the original recipe to lighten it up a bit, and we thought it tasted great. And by great, I mean super fantastic. Wow! I will definitely plan to use this with some other salads this summer. Thank goodness it was just two of us so we have leftovers for more salads this week. Yum! :)

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette 
Recipe adapted from Two Peas in Their Pod, via Jourdan Leigh in the kitchen
Serves about 8

WIAW: Girls Dinner!

Well it's safe to say that I've been pretty absent from my normal weekly posts, including What I Ate Wednesday and my Fit Fridays post. If any fellow teachers are reading this, you probably understand my lack of time has been due to all the crazy end-of-the year events and projects to finish. We're done a week from tomorrow, but I feel like there are a million things to do before then - field day, 8th grade graduation, report cards, curriculum orders, class lists...I could go on.

Anyway, I thought I'd jump back on the bandwagon so here goes. This is from yesterday (as most my WIAW posts are from my Tuesday eats). If you're looking for more good eats, head on over to Jenn's blog and see some of the others!

Breakfast: I was dragging this morning. Like whoa. So, I didn't get a nice egg sandwich. Instead I grabbed a yogurt on my way out the door. It was tasty as always, but I've become quite attached to my egg sandwiches.

Lunch: Thank goodness for leftovers! Lunch was a breeze to grab since I already put leftovers together from dinner last night. We had some rockin' salads, with lots of goodies. The salad included: baby spinach, romaine, tomatoes, bell peppers (red, green and yellow), avocado, cucumber, pine nuts and feta. I topped with my favorite homemade dressing (olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic & dijon mustard), and it was just packed with flavor. I had some sliced strawberries on the side to satisfy my ever-present sweet tooth.

Snack: Grazer alert! I had a handful of pretzels and almonds sometime after getting home from changing my blow out of a tire. I will post a picture soon, but right now it's not on my computer, and I'm too tired to find it!

Dinner: One of my favorite nights of the month! My Indy girlfriends (and sorority sisters) get together once a month for a "girls dinner." We rotate hosting duties each month, and a different girl brings sides, dessert, appetizers and/or wine/beer. We talk, eat, laugh and have a blast together. It's one of the highlights of my month! Love, love these girls!

Ally hosted tonight's dinner, and it was a fabulous spread. You can see all I noshed on, plus her amazing decorations and hosting skills at work. So grateful for my wonderful friends!

appetizers! boursin + gouda + table water crackers | cucumber + feta + deliciousness wraps

Beautiful table spread!

The fabulous dinner! Chicken (will make and post recipe ASAP!) + roasted potatoes + sauteed veggies |
plus salad with homemade greek yogurt dressing...and the CUTEST owl salt and pepper shakers!
Ally loves salt and pepper shakers ;)

some of the lovely details

girls!

Jourdan's delicious strawberry shortcake!

Creamy Dill & Tartar Sauce

Have you ever seen the frozen crab cakes at Trader Joe's? They're surprisingly tasty - and cheap! I bought them on a whim a little while ago, and saw them staring at me from the freezer the other night. They sounded really good - and easy! - and I figured I could whip up a sauce to go with them.

I know that crab cakes are often served with a cream of tartar sauce, but I was under the impression I didn't have any. So, I started mixing some ingredients that I thought might taste good. Turns out? I had the cream of tartar. I added some at the end, but I'm actually really happy with the sauce I wound up with. It was packed with flavor, and seemed to compliment the crab cakes so well.

If you make this, I'd love to hear how it turns out for you and what you serve it with. New ideas are my favorite!

Creamy Dill & Tartar Sauce
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp
Yields about 1/3 cup of sauce

Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Alfredo

I saw this on Pinterest the other day, and knew that I had to make. As in, that night. Fortunately for me, I had all the ingredients on hand. Turns out? This was one of the best pasta dishes I've ever made. Now, truth be told, I don't cook pasta all that often. I come up with the occasional dish, but usually I try to stick to proteins with dinner dishes.

I adapted this a bit, based on our taste preferences. I didn't have the highest expectations, but it was so unbelievably tasty and packed with flavor. Not to mention, it really didn't take long to make. As in, less than 30 minutes. Top this with your protein of choice (salmon, do it!!) and you have a nicely balanced meal. I'm thinking next time I'll try to sneak in some veggies. Maybe asparagus or cauliflower? Let me know if you have any ideas!

Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Alfredo
Recipe adapted from Lauren's Latest
Yields 2 very large servings (we had leftovers)

Ingredients:
*1 jar roasted red peppers, rinsed and drained
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*1 small onion, diced
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 cup fat free half & half
*2 oz. goat cheese
*2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
*1/4 cup grated fontina cheese
*1/3 lb. whole wheat whole grain linguine
*salt & pepper, to taste
*2 good pinches crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation:
*Boil water in a large pot and cook pasta until al dente.

*In the mean time, saute onions in olive oil 7 minutes or until tender, adding garlic and crushed red pepper in the last minute or so. Pour in half & half, goat cheese, salt & pepper. Stir to melt goat cheese into sauce and keep warm over low heat.

*Chop peppers into large pieces and place into sauce along with parmesan and fontina cheese. Stir to melt cheese and remove from heat.

*Use a hand blender to puree sauce in the pan (option 1); or pour sauce into a blender or food processor to puree, then return to pan (option 2). Taste and adjust seasonings. Combine with pasta and serve immediately.

Note: I served this with some broiled salmon on top, and it totally took it to another level. Delicious! Plus, the added protein makes the pasta more sustaining. 

Onion, garlic, red pepper flakes | nonfat 1/2 and 1/2 | fontina + parmesan + roasted red peppers
mixing it all up | blended and ready!

Dinner...pictures don't do the taste justice.