Chicken lettuce wraps exploded as a popular appetizer/entree mostly because of P.F. Changs. They are delicious and healthy, or at least you would think. Check out the nutritional facts on PF’s version and you’ll be shocked at the sodium content. I made these a few years ago for my cousin’s wedding shower and recreated them…
Category: Entree
Tri Colore Matzo Balls
A staple dish for Jews round the world is matzo ball soup. When I was in Venice I managed to find a Jewish quarter with a little deli that made some of the best matzo ball soup I’ve ever had! It’s comforting and oddly delicious. My family makes it every year for different holidays but…
Braised Chicken and Potatoes
Sometimes the best meals aren’t planned. On Sunday I usually plan our dinner ahead of time because it’s really the one day each week when I can make a meal that takes more than an hour to prep and cook. After a long rainy Sunday of being out and about we stopped at the grocery…
Scarola e Fagioli
One of my favorite Italian sides is escarole and beans! It’s healthy, delicious and easy to make in just minutes! It can be used as a side or a main dish since it provides protein and nutrients from the vegetable. Add some chicken broth and top with parmesan cheese and you have yourself a hearty…
Lasagna Soup
If you love lasagna, then you will love this recipe. My friend at work, Marie, showed me a new recipe from Bobby Deen (Paula Deen’s son who is trying to put a healthier twist on Paula’s meals). “Lasagna soup” sounds very strange and I was really hesitant at first. But this lightened up lasagna really…
Baked Halibut with Roasted Garlic Brown Rice
Another dish my mom often made us growing up was baked halibut topped with Italian-seasoned bread crumbs. It was one of the only ways I would eat fish growing up. I still love it today! Halibut is a bit pricey so if you are watching your spending, any other white fish will do for this…
Veal Milanese Topped with Tomato and Arugula Salad
I admit, this isn’t the healthiest dinner you could make but it could be worse. Once in a while you need to splurge because it’s well, delicious. My mom made this recipe for us growing up and I always loved it, so I thought I would make it this week. We’ve been eating healthy every…
Grilled Steak and Zucchini Salad
Tonight, I threw together a quick, easy and healthy meal in between work and a meeting. Its feeling like summer outside so what better night to fire up the grill? When you grill you keep the calories down but you don’t sacrifice on flavor. It’s a nice night to grill outside and as bathing suit…
Healthified Chicken Enchiladas
My father is on a new diet so last night’s dinner was all about taking a dish I love (see recipe here: chicken enchiladas verde) and making it calorie friendly. My brother also happened to be home and he is on the opposite end of the diet spectrum. With this dinner we managed to make everyone…
Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
A classic recipe and one of my absolute favorites. I order this at Strada 18 in Norwalk almost every time we go and I finish the entire ginormous bowl. It does cost $18 however so this Saturday night I thought we could save some money and still enjoy a delicious meal at home. I was…
Balsamic Chicken with Tomato and Spinach Penne
Sometimes I get home late, am very tired and have little in my fridge. On my drive home last night I thought about what was in the fridge knowing the pickings were scarce. I got to scheming and had a plan. I called Kyle to put a pot of water on the stove and after…
Chicken Piccata or Chicken Francese?
Did I make chicken piccata or chicken francese? Or neither? After looking at Giada’s piccata and Tyler Florence’s francese I’m pretty sure I made a combination of the two. I can tell you the outcome was a delicious blend of flavors and it’s a nice change from the every day grilled chicken. This dish is…
What to do with that leftover meatloaf?
Since I made my Monday meatloaf on Sunday night, on Monday I had to figure out what to do with this: (leftover meatloaf, bleh!) So I made it into this: Pasta with Meat Sauce! (yum!) Chop up the meatloaf with a wooden spoon in a pan on the stove, add some left over tomato sauce,…
“Mom!”s Monday Meatloaf
In our house, at a time when we were all grown up but still living with my parents, Monday Meatloaf became somewhat of a tradition. If you’ve seen the movie Wedding Crashers then I’m sure you remember the scene when Owen Wilson visits Will Ferrell and they are talking in his mother’s living room. You…
Tacos de Barbacoa
For some reason I have always been intimidated by large roasts and the braising process. I guess it’s fear of the unknown. But after making barbacoa I’m not sure why I was so scared; it was one of the easiest dinners I have made. If you have been to Chipotle you are at least somewhat…
Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs
I have always wanted to make homemade pasta. Having lived in Italy and knowing what fresh pasta tastes like, I know it’s worth whatever effort it takes to make it. Growing up I heard stories of how my great-grandmother, Filomena Bonini, made homemade pasta weekly, rolled it by hand with a long broom stick, and…
Stuffed Mushroom “Pizza”
If you are on a low carb diet, if you are a vegetarian, or if you like mushrooms and cheese, then you’ll like this creation! I had 2 leftover portobello mushrooms from our sandwiches (previous recipe) and I didn’t know what to do with them. I also had spinach in my fridge. After googling “spinach…
Portobello Mushroom Sandwich
When I saw a package of large and perfect portobello mushrooms in the grocery store this morning, I had to buy them. Immediately I thought about a pesto mayo on a delicious fresh bun. A big juicy grilled portobello can be just as delicious as a burger if you do it right. This sandwich is tender, crunchy…
Spaghetti with Zucchini, Mushroom and Chicken
During the busy week I managed to throw together a tasty pasta dish packed with protein, healthy fresh vegetables and some cheesy pasta. This dish is really easy to throw together and it can be modified to your liking! Ingredients: 1 Zucchini 1 package chicken tenders, cut thin and bite sized 1/2 package baby bella…
Healthy Bun-less Burgers
Who doesn’t love a big juicy burger on a fresh sesame bun loaded with all the toppings? While it might be tasty it isn’t the most healthy dinner in the world. I’ve found a way to really enjoy a weeknight burger without all the carbs and fat. I promise it is still delicious. Try this…
Red Wine Beef Stew
With the snow comes my cravings for a soup or hearty stew. Growing up, my mom always made us a delicious beef stew with carrots, celery, onion and served it over egg noodles. It was always so warm and comforting. I can never make it as good as hers but here’s my version. Ingredients 1.5 lbs…
Chicken Enchiladas Verde
Saturday night was girls night in after a beautiful snowy day, so Alex and I decided to do some cooking. We researched a few different chicken enchiladas recipes, compared them with what we had in my fridge and decided to make a healthier version, but trust me we didn’t lose out on flavor. We paired…
Flank Steak Fajitas with Chimichurri Sauce
Flank steak is delicious, inexpensive and relatively easy to prepare. Pair it with some chimichurri sauce and you’ve got yourself a fresh and tasty fajita night with very little prep and cooking time. Use whole wheat tortillas to keep it healthy. Ingredients: 1 Flank steak Soy Sauce Beer (preferably a lager) Salt and freshly ground…
Shrimp Tacos with a corn, poblano pepper and black bean salsa
Anyone who knows me, knows I’m obsessed with tacos. At work, we make weekly Friday visits to the taco truck. Thinking about the endless possibilities of what you can put in a taco makes my mouth water. I’ve made quite a few versions of tacos over the last year but Kyle and I agree, tonight’s…
Stuff Your Own…Stuffed Pepper!
I had an urgent craving for stuffed peppers this past weekend and thought they would be nice for Sunday family dinner. I have never made them before but they seemed simple enough and I thought they have such potential to be delicious. Keeping things on the healthy side, I used a short brown rice instead…
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