Tuna Cakes with Spinach Salad

I'm a huge fan of tuna, but the husband despises it. He once ordered a tuna pizza in Portugal by mistake, and has since been turned off the fish forever. So if I'm feeling like making something with tuna, its usually for lunch.

These tuna cakes are a perfect light lunch when served with a nice salad and are a refreshing change from a plain sandwich. I adapted the recipe from Kraft after making them once previously and having a few logistical issues (such as the cakes falling apart in the pan).

I highly recommend chilling them in the fridge overnight, or at least for 1 hour after forming them into balls or cakes to make sure they don't fall apart. Also make sure that you spray the pan with non-stick spray well, or consider adding some butter or olive oil to ensure they don't stick.

Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

2 cans (170 g each) tuna, drained, flaked

1 pkg. (120 g) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken

3/4 cup Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

1/2 cup carrot, shredded

3/4 cup water

4 green onions or 1 small white onion, chopped

1/3 cup Miracle Whip light Dressing

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp dill weed or 1 tsp sweet relish

fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients well.

2. Form into balls/patties (this recipe makes 8-10 cakes) and place in fridge for at least one hour, preferably overnight.

3. Spray non-stick skillet with Pam and heat to medium.

4. Cook patties for 3-4 minutes per side, until browned and warmed throughout. If you have trouble flipping them without breaking, add some oil or butter to skillet.

5. Serve with salad & enjoy.

Nutritional Information:

Per Serving: (2 cakes) About 280 calories or 6 weight watchers points when made with light mayo and cheese.

Source: Adapted from Kraft Canada

Pork Carnitas with Mexican Rice & Pico de Gallo

         Ever since the husband and I returned from a trip to Mexico he has been begging for Mexican food. I have abstained from making it for fear of producing something completely inedible. And then I met someone in town whose husband is Mexican. She assured me that I could most definitely make an authentic Mexican meal. Rejoice!! I choice Valentines Day to make the sought-after meal.

            I decided to make pork carnitas, which is a fancy way of saying Mexican pork, black bean & corn salad, rice and fresh pico de gallo.  I served the pork with tortillas and all the toppings. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous meal. 

         Did I mention it was fabulous? Next time I'm going to make homemade tortillas!!

Pork Carnitas:

Ingredients:

2-3lbs pork shoulder or butt chop, cut into chunks, trimmed of fat

2 tbsp chipotle seasoning

1 tsp cinnamon

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

1/3 cup pineapple juice or beef broth

Directions:

1. Rub pork well with chipotle & cinnamon.

2. Place in slow cooker with garlic, broth, and onion.

3. Cook over low heat for 8 hours. 

4. Preheat oven to 400F 

5. Pull apart pork (should be very tender).

6. Transfer pork into roasting pan and cook for 15 minutes to crisp (optional).

7. Serve with warm tortillas, fresh pico de gallo, cheese, lime & avocado.

Pico de Gallo:

Ingredients:

2 large roma (plum) tomatos, seeded & diced

1 small onion, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & finely diced

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

2 sprigs green onion, chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

juice of 2 limes, plus 1/2 tsp zest

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Combine well in a medium bowl. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving. Keeps 4-5 days in refrigerator.

Note: cilantro and lime are a MUST - no substitutions!

For a spicier jalapeno, roll the pepper before dicing. Remember not to touch your eye!!!

Mexican Rice: (adapted from What's Cooking, Chicago?)

Ingredients:

1 (15-oz.) can diced or whole tomatoes (preferably with no salt) OR 3 fresh tomatoes, diced

1 small onion, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced + 2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups brown rice

1 green pepper, diced

2 jalapenos, diced

1 tbsp fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In food processor, combine tomatoes with onion and first 2 cloves of garlic. It will be closer to a liquid consistency. Set aside.

3. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add raw rice to hot oil and stir regularly for 4-5 minutes. Add green pepper, remaining garlic, jalapeno and cook for another few minutes. Add a little bit of extra oil if rice starts to burn (its ok to brown)

4. Add in tomato mixture, chicken broth and water and bring to a boil. Transfer to a casserole dish and bake in oven for approx 45 minutes, checking 1-2x to make sure there is enough liquid.

5. Gently fluff the rice with a fork when done. Add fresh cilantro.

Note: this would also taste fabulous with black beans. 

Source: What's Cooking, Chicago?

Black Bean & Corn Salad:

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup canned corn (no salt) drained 
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 6 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 
  
• Directions:

1. Place lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper in a small jar. Cover with lid, and shake until ingredients are well mixed.
2. In a salad bowl, combine beans, corn, avocado, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Shake lime dressing, and pour it over the salad. Stir salad to coat vegetables and beans with dressing, and serve. Keeps up to 48 hours in refrigerator.

Source: Adapted from www.allrecipes.com ""Black Bean and Corn Salad II"

Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts

       I was recently asked to bring an appetizer to a cocktail party and wanted to make something new. At our wedding reception, we had bacon-wrapped scallops that were fabulous. Since I wasn't sure how many people liked scallops, I thought that I would try bacon-wrapped water chestnuts.
      They were easy (although a bit time-consuming) and were a huge hit. You can easily make them a day or two in advance and keep in the fridge until it is time to heat them up. I recommend making a double batch of sauce and to have a dish of the deliciousness available to dip on the side.

• Ingredients:
• 1 pound bacon
• 2 (8 ounce) cans water chestnuts
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup chili sauce
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 
  
• Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cut each strip of bacon in half or in thirds (you will figure it out)
3. Wrap one strip around one water chestnut. Secure with a wooden toothpick. Place in shallow baking dish.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes. D
5. While the wraps are baking, in a small mixing bowl combine brown sugar, mayonnaise, ketchup and chili sauce to make barbecue sauce. After the wraps have finished baking, transfer them (removing them from the grease) to a second shallow baking dish. Pour the sauce over the wraps.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 to 15 additional minutes, or until bacon is crispy. Serve hot out of dish with toothpicks.

Note: If you would like to make a less-spicy version, use 1/3 cup ketchup and 1 tbsp of chili sauce instead.

Cabbage Roll Casserole

           One of my favourite places to eat is Perth County Food Co, in Stratford Ontario. It is a gem of a deli that always has cabbage rolls available. Now that I don't live or work in Stratford it is increasingly difficult to get my hands on these delicious babies. Solution? Make them. Well, sorta.....
           Cabbage rolls are time-consuming, even though the result is totally worth it. But what to do when you want cabbage rolls but lack time? The lazy man version: cabbage roll casserole. Prep time is only about 15 minutes, and after an hour in the oven you have the deliciousness that is cabbage rolls without the effort. You are welcome :)

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (or pork)
2 cloves garlic
1 large onion, diced
1 can tomato soup
1 (28oz) canned tomatoes, no salt added, including liquid
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
ground black pepper
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup water
1 cup brown rice
4 cups shredded cabbage

Directions:
1. In a large frying pan over med-high heat, brown ground beef with onion and garlic.
2. Add tomato soup, canned tomatoes, salt, sugar, pepper, italian seasoning, wine, water and rice.
3. Combine well and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Grease a 3-qt casserole dish. Put 1/2 the cabbage in, and top with 1/2 the ground beef mixture. Add remaining cabbage then remaining beef. Make sure to get all the liquid.
5. Bake at 325F for 1 hour. Check after 35 minutes to see if there is enough (or too much) liquid for the rice. Add more water (1/4 cup at a time) or rice (1 tbsp at a time) accordingly.

Southwest Chicken Salad

           As you have noticed lately, I am big on 'meal salads.' It is all part of the preparation of being able to fit into a bikini on my pending trip to Mexico! To keep things interesting, I am constantly trying new dressings, combinations and toppings for salad so that I don't scarf down Kraft Dinner instead :)
          Last month I had a fabulous salad at the Cheesecake Factory in Florida. I wanted to re-create this combination while staying mindful of calories and fat. I am happy to report that I have succeeded! This Southwest Chicken Salad is fabulous!

Ingredients for 2 large servings:
4-6 cups torn romaine lettuce, washed & dried
1/2 red or orange pepper, sliced
1/2 green pepper, sliced
1 tomato, cut into chunks
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed & drained
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup crispy fried onions
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
3 tbsp calorie-wise ranch dressing
3 tbsp barbeque dressing

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine ranch & barbeque dressing. Mix well.
2. Combine dressing with lettuce and chicken, toss well.
3. Arrange lettuce and chicken on a plate. Top with peppers, tomatoes, black beans, and sprinkle cheese & fried onions on top.

Nutritional Information: About 300 calories per large serving. 5 Weight Watcher points.

Cashew Beef Stir-Fry

It's that time of the year when we are all trying to incorporate more veggies into our diet. I'm pretty good about eating salad, but like most people who live in Canada in the winter, its hard to get enough vegetables.
Problem solved - stir-fry! You can use fresh OR frozen veggies, and one meal easily has two servings of vegetables, if not more.  Plus, its delicious. And the husband loves it.
I always debate about what cut of beef to use for a stir-fry. I didn't have to think about it today, as I had four perfect-looking striploin steaks in the freezer. Its going to be WAY too cold to barbeque them for a while, so this is a good option. Plus - they have just enough fat to keep the beef from getting tough as it cooks.
Be careful not use steak that is too lean - it needs fat to keep it flavourful and juicy. If you are worried, marinate it longer - even overnight - to let the juices and flavour set.

Ingredients:
Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced ginger
juice from 1 orange (or 2 tbsp)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup veg oil

4 steaks
6 cups veggies (I used zucchini, carrot, broccoli, and pepper)
1/3 cup cashews
1 medium onion, chopped
rice or noodle of your choice, cooked

Directions:
1. Whisk marinade ingredients together.
2. Slice steak thinly. Spread in baking dish and pour marinade over-top. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
3. Heat oil in wok. Add onion, garlic and beef, including marinade sauce.  Stirfry until beef is browned, but do NOT overcook.
4. Remove beef and keep warm.
5. Add vegetables to pan (if needed, at a bit more liquid - see below) and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, until cooked but still crisp.
6. Add beef back to vegetables and stir in cashews. Cook for about 2 minutes to ensure it is hot.
7. Serve over hot noodle of your choice.

Note - If you need more liquid for extra sauce, mix together and add to veggies:
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp corn starch
dash of orange juice

Simple Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup

I love sweet potatoes, and I love lentils. I love them SO much that I have another soup already on this blog!  This one is a bit different - much simpler, and the ingredients do not get pureed. It resembles a traditional vegetable soup more than the previous recipe. It is loaded with fibre and vitamins, so its perfect for this time of year when most of us are on diets & detoxing post-holidays.
I used dried lentils, but you could certainly used canned. If you do choose to use the latter, make sure to rinse them well, and add them about 10 minutes before serving instead of letting them boil with the rest of the soup.

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato, peeled & diced (about 1 cm pieces)
1 cup dry red lentils (or 2 cups canned)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups diced tomatoes
4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf

Directions:
1. Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onion & garlic and cook until translucent.
2. Add sweet potatoes and lightly brown, about 3 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Remove bay leaf.
5. Serves 6

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This recipe is so simple it really doesn't deserve a blog post. But I thought I would share as it is a fabulous side dish, and sweet potatoes are in-season around here. I usually serve them with grilled chicken and asparagus, or steak instead of regular baked potatoes.

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes (about 2lbs)
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
2 tbsp oil
1/4 cup onion, diced

Directions:
1. Wash and peel sweet potatoes. Cut into small pieces.
2. In large boil, mix all ingredients.
3. Pour onto lightly greased baking pan and bake at 400F for approximately 25 minutes - longer if you prefer them crispy.

Tip: To change things up, you can also use 1 packet of dry onion soup mix instead of the salt & pepper and onion.