Salmon with Asparagus Panzanella

Hello Readers!

For Tuesday night's meal, I decided to make something a little on the lighter side since we have been getting some record high temperatures here in VA.  I have posted the way that I make my salmon before on the blog, but for those of you that may be new to this site, I have listed the instructions below.  You can use any type of fish that you like, but I am pretty partial to the taste of salmon.  Enjoy!

Ingredients Needed: 

Salmon (or any type of fish you like)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon Pepper seasoning
Seafood seasoning
Panko bread crumbs 
1 bunch of asparagus, cooked, dried off, and cut in chunks 
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped in chunks
1 red onion, chopped in chunks 
1 English cucumber, peeled and chopped in chunks
1/4 cup of Kalamata olives (I buy the kind that are already sliced in half)
1 tablespoon of capers
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar 
3 thick slices of crusty bread sliced in chunks (I use Country bread)

Directions for Salmon: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Lay salmon on baking sheet and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil
Sprinkle on Lemon Pepper seasoning, seafood seasoning, and top with bread crumbs
*Bread crumbs on fish give it amazing texture with a neutral flavor

Directions for Asparagus Panzanella: 

In a small bowl, combine red wine vinegar, olive oil (2 tablespoons), salt and pepper.  In a large bowl, combine cooked asparagus, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, olives, and capers.  Toss with olive oil mixture. Once combined, add sliced bread and toss again to allow bread to soak up the juices.  I allow this to sit in the refrigerator about 15-20 minutes prior to serving to allow all of the flavors to marry. 

Enjoy!

I'm Back with Spicy Chicken Avocado Enchiladas!

Hello Readers!

It feels great to be back writing about something that I am very passionate about---COOKING!

I wanted to start out my first post back with one of my favorite recipes of late.  This particular recipe is one that I found on Pinterest and completely fell in love.  This recipe is great for all seasons and is a hearty meal that feeds a lot of people or makes for phenomenal leftovers.  I hope that you enjoy this recipe and I appreciate your continued support and following to this blog. 

Happy Cooking!

Ingredients Needed: 

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked
1 Serrano pepper, chopped (I leave the seeds in for extra spiciness)
1 yellow sweet onion, chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup fat free sour cream (yes, I did use the fat free and it tasted just fine:)
1 cup chicken stock
1 16 oz. jar of medium salsa verde
2 avocados, diced
1 bag of Mexican cheese
1 bag of flour tortillas (you can use the small or the regular size depending on how many you want to make-I used the regular size that made 6 large enchiladas)
Cilantro, chopped roughly 

Directions: 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a non-stick skillet, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook your diced Serrano pepper until softened.  This should take about 2-3 minutes.  Add the flour, cumin, and salt and stir around until combined, but be careful with how hot your pan gets as the flour can and will burn.  Add chicken stock, stir to combine and let cook until this comes to a low boil.  Remove from the heat and stir in sour cream, salsa verde, and cilantro.  Removing from the heat is crucial in this step as your sour cream will curdle if it is at a boiling point, which is not very appetizing:) 

Shred your cooked chicken, diced your onion, and dice the avocados.  Set up an assembly line since you will now be making the enchiladas and it is much easier to have everything laid out on a cutting board (see my picture below). 

Spray a glass baking pan with PAM and spread 1/4 cup of sauce on the bottom.  Assemble your enchiladas, roll, then place in baking pan seam side down.  Cover with remaining sauce.  Top with Mexican cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese has melted. 

My Enchilada Assembly Order: chicken, onion, avocado, cheese

I usually make a pot of Mexican rice or white rice to go alongside these wonderful enchiladas.  Enjoy!

Cajun Stuffed Peppers

Hello Readers,

I stumbled upon this Cajun Stuffed Peppers recipe in my latest edition of Food Network magazine. I love spicy food and the hot Italian sausage that I used as a substitute for the Spanish Chorizo they say to use was amazing! I decided I would post a link for this recipe and let your mouth water over the pictures. Enjoy!

Link courtesy of foodnetwork.com:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/cajun-stuffed-peppers-recipe/index.html



**I used couscous as a substitute for quinoa since the store did not have it.


The Final Product!

Cod with Steamed Veggies

Hello Readers!

This particular recipe I found in my 'Cook Like a Rock Star' cookbook that my brother gave me for Christmas. It is to die for if you need a fun way to cook a simple fish and veggies dish. This is also a very healthy meal for those of you that are watching your figure for the New Year.

Ingredients:

Cod or Halibut (either will work and Cod is much easier on the wallet)
Cooking white wine
Salt and Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large red onion, sliced in rings
2 zucchini, sliced thinly
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced thinly (you can also use 1 large tomato, but Roma's were on sale this week)
Fresh thyme
1 lemon, sliced thinly (you need about 8 slices)
Aluminum Foil for steaming packets (you can also use parchment paper, but aluminum stays together much easier)

Instructions:
1. Cut all veggies, place in a large bowl, and set aside.

2. Drizzle olive oil on the veggies and let ingredients marry for about 5 minutes.
3. Rip off 4 sections of aluminum foil and place on baking sheet (these will hold your fish and veggies so make sure you rip them big enough so that there is room for all ingredients).
4. Divide veggies up evenly among the 4 sections.

5. Divide up your Cod or Halibut and place on top of the 4 packets of veggies.
6. Place your thinly sliced lemon on top of each of the 4 packets (about 2 slices per packet).

7. Drizzle about 1/4 cup of white cooking wine in the bottom of each packet.
8. Rip off another 4 sheets of aluminum foil (enough to cover and secure the 4 packets you have made.

9. In a 500 degree oven, bake for about 10-12 minutes (or until fish is flaky). The reasoning for the hot temperature oven is to allow the fish to steam properly.

Enjoy! These little packets are so fun to make. I hope that you all enjoy them as much as we did.

Turkey Meatballs with Whole Wheat Pasta and Red Pepper-Tomato Sauce

Hello Readers!

Well, the holidays are finally over and it is time to get back into a groove. I feel for those of you that have to go back to work tomorrow or start your 'normal' routine. On another note, I am sure many of you have made New Year's Resolutions that you want to keep throughout the year. I encourage you to not lose heart and fulfill those resolutions without regret. One of my personal resolutions was to get rid of some technology to spend more time with my husband and become more faithful with this cooking blog since those two are my passion and loves in life. I decided to move away from my personal Facebook page and create a page solely for this blog. For those of you that have not already become a fan, here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/OntheMenuTonight. Make sure to click 'Like' on the left-hand side so that you can follow when a new recipe has been posted. I also plan to pose questions for you, as readers, to give me your feedback, opinions, and favorite recipes or tips. I appreciate all of your support and shared love for cooking!

Now on to the recipe:

I received a 365-day Food Network calendar for Christmas and my word is it amazing. It is a little desk calendar with multiple recipes throughout the year. I decided to make the recipe that was shared for January 1st. This recipe is hearty for a cold, winter day and also, is a very low-calorie and low-fat meal for those of you that have chosen to eat healthier this year. Enjoy this delicious meal!

**Note: If you do not have a food processor or immersion blender, buy a can of regular marinara sauce. Make sure to cut the veggie amount in half if you do this as you will only need some to make the meatballs with. Just alter step 6 to allow your marinara sauce to heat for when you add the meatballs.

Ingredients:

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 medium white onions, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes with juice
1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef
1 (10 oz) bag of frozen spinach, thawed and juice squeezed out
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (more for serving)
2 dashes, Worcestershire sauce
Whole wheat spaghetti

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil for the pasta.
2. In a large skillet, drizzle olive oil and allow for this to get hot. This is where your veggies will be sauteed.
3. Chop celery, onions, and red pepper finely and place in hot skillet. Let saute for about 5 minutes or until tender.
4. Add minced garlic and let cook for another minute.

5. Take half of your veggies that have been sauteed and place in a bowl to set aside (these will be used to make the meatballs)
6. Add can of crushed tomatoes to the skillet with the other half of the sauteed veggies and let cook for about 7 minutes (make sure to put a lid on this sauce as it will spit and sputter). Add salt and pepper for seasoning. You can also add some oregano or other Italian spices if you choose to add extra flavoring.

7. Transfer your heated sauce to food processor or immersion blender and set to your puree setting. Puree until smooth.
8. Add turkey, thawed and drained spinach, oats, W sauce, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and 1/2 of the veggies that you set aside in step 5. Use your hands here and combine the mixture. Form 10-12 large meatballs and place in your skillet with the sauce.

**Tip: If you are using ground turkey, it is very lean and does not stay together very well. I would suggest adding some olive oil to your mixture to help keep the meatballs formed. If you are using ground beef, you should not need to do this since it has more fat.
9. Cover the skillet and let your meatballs cook for about 10-12 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. Make sure to turn them every so often so that all sides get cooked.

10. Add your spaghetti to your pot of boiling, salted water. Let cook until al dente (about 10 minutes) then drain.


Get out some large bowls and layer with spaghetti, a few meatballs, sauce, and sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!


Recipe courtesy of Food Network, G.P and can be found at http://www.foodnetwork.com