Baked Eggplant Parmigiana

Much healthier than the traditional fry method…and just as delicious.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggplants, peeled and sliced lengthwise
• 2 large eggs
• 2 T water
• 1 c breadcrumbs or Panko
• 1 c grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 t Italian seasoning
• 3 cups marinara sauce
• 2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

• Lay the sliced eggplant on some paper towels. Liberally salt both sides and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Pat with a paper towel and season with some pepper.
• Preheat oven to 375.
• Lightly brush two baking sheets with some olive.
• Whisk together the eggs and the water in a bowl.
• Mix the breadcrumbs or Panko with the parmesan cheese and Italian seasonings in another bowl.
• Dip each eggplant slice first into the eggs and then into the breadcrumb mixture, shaking off the excess and patting them to adhere the breadcrumbs. Place them in a single layer in the baking sheets.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the bottom is golden. Turn them over and bake for another 25 minutes to brown the other side.
• In the meantime, layer some Marinara sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish.
• Once the eggplant have been browned, add the eggplant slices in a single layer in the casserole dish.
• Cover them with more Marinara sauce and some mozzarella cheese.
• Continue making layers until you’ve used up all the eggplant slices. Finish with a layer of sauce and cheese.
• Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
• Turn the broiler on, and cook for another couple of minutes until the top is browned.

Shrimp & Avocado Salad

This was delicious. Even just using the dressing on the shrimp alone would be great.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb raw shrimp, thawed
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 avocadoes, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 red onion, sliced thin
• 2 cups fresh lettuce
• 1 T chopped cilantro

For the dressing:

• 3 T olive oil
• 3 T fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 t cumin
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper

Directions:

Coat the shrimp with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until just done.

Combine the dressing in a bowl. Add the shrimp. At this point, you can stop and eat the shrimp as is. Or you can continue into making the salad.

If you are making the salad, add the onions to the shrimp and dressing. Mix well. Add this to the salad and mix well. Top with avocadoes and cilantro. Enjoy!

Mushroom Pork Chops

The key to making successful pork chops is to NEVER dry them out! I constantly take their temperature and the minute it hits 145, I take them off the heat.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 t salt
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t onion powder
• 1/4 t pepper
• 4 bone in thick cut pork chops
• 12 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
• 2 T butter
• 2 T flour
• 1 1/2 c chicken broth
• 1 t Worchestershire Sauce

Directions:

• Add salt, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper to a small bowl. Mix them well and reserve 1 t for the mushrooms. Season the pork chops on both sides with the remaining seasoning mix.
• Heat some oil in a frying pan. Add the pork chops and cook for about 5 minutes/side and the internal temperature is 145. Remove from heat and put them on a plate and tent them with some foil.
• In the same frying pan, add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms and the remaining seasoning mix. Cook them gently for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add the flour to the mushrooms. Stir to combine well and cook for about 1 minute (stirring frequently).
• Add the chicken broth and Worchestershire sauce, scraping the bottom of the skillet as you stir. When the sauce begins to simmer, lower the temperature and cook it gently for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the seasonings.
• Serve the pork chops with the mushroom sauce on top!

Garlic Butter Chicken and Asparagus

This was very flavorful and healthy.

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into tenders and halved lengthwise
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2″ long pieces
• 2 t minced garlic
• 1 t Italian seasoning or Herbes de Provence
• 1 T hot sauce (Sriracha)
• 1/2 c chicken broth
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 T minced parsley

For the Chicken seasoning:

• 1 t salt (maybe less)
• 1 t black pepper
• 2 t onion powder

Directions:

• Add the chicken seasonings to the chicken and let sit a few minutes.
• Blanch the asparagus in some boiling salted water for about 2 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain.
• Heat some butter and olive oil in a pan. Gently stir fry the chicken on all sides until golden brown. Lower the temperature, add the garlic and Italian seasonings and cook until fragrant. Remove the chicken and set aside.
• In the same skillet, add some garlic. Deglaze the pan with chicken broth or wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce to half its volume. Add some butter, lemon juice, hot sauce, and parsley.
• Add the asparagus and toss for a couple of minutes to cook. Add back the chicken and stir fry for another minute or so.
• Garnish the chicken with some chopped parsley, red chili flakes, and lemon slices.

Chile Lime Shrimp Tacos

Super flavorful and fun to eat! And best of all, super easy!

Ingredients:

• Raw shrimp, peeled
• Corn tortillas
• Shredded cabbage
• 1/4 jalapeno or serrano chile, minced
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 lime zested and juiced
• Red pepper flakes
• 1/4 t. paprika
• 1/4 t. chili powder
• 1 avocado, diced
• Salsa for serving

Directions:

• Combine all the ingredients except for the tortillas, avocado and salsa and mix together. Allow to marinate for up to 2 hours.
• Cook the marinated shrimp until done.
• Remove from heat. Serve in warmed tortillas and top with avocado and salsa.

Tuna Cakes

These were so tasty and healthy.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans tuna (it doesn’t matter if it’s water or oil packed) – the better the tuna, the better the tuna cakes
• 1 1/2 t. garlic powder
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion (about a cup), finely diced
• 1/2 red pepper, finely diced
• 1 cup bread crumbs or panko
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 T mayonainaise
• 1 t. Worchestershire sauce
• 1/4 c. parsley, finely minced

Directions:

• Saute the onion and pepper in some butter and oil until they are golden and softened. Remove from heat.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Form them into balls and then flatten them into burgers.
• Heat some butter and oil in a pan. Add the patties and cook until they are golden brown on each side.
• Serve with your favorite condiment, tartar sauce or tzatziki sauce.

Salmon with Anchovy-Garlic Butter

This was so good and tasty…and easy!

Ingredients:

• 3 T butter, softened
• 4 anchovy fillets, minced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 4 salmon fillets, skin on (about 6 oz each)
• 2 T drained capers, patted dry
• 1/2 lemon
• Fresh chopped parsley

Directions:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mash together butter, anchovies, garlic, salt and pepper.
• In a large ovenproof skillet, melt about half the butter mixture. Add the fish, skin side down. Cook for 3 minutes over high heat to brown the skin, spooning some pan drippings over the top of the fish as it’s cooking. Add the capers to the bottom of the pan and transfer it to the oven. Roast until the fish is cooked through (around 125 degrees for medium).
• Remove the pan from the oven and add the remaining butter mixture to the pan and melt. Place the salmon on plates and spoon the buttery mixture over the salmon. Squeeze some lemon and garnish with chopped parsley.

Chicken Thighs 6 Ways

This is the easiest and tastiest way to make a quick and delicious dinner!

For all, you will need about 6 chicken thighs – bone in and skin on.

Marinades:

1. Paprika

• 1/4 c olive oil
• 2 T rice wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 t paprika
• 2 t thyme leaves

2. Balsamic

• 1/2 c balsamic vinegar
• 2 T honey
• 2 T whole grain mustard
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes

3. Honey Dijon

• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 1/4 c whole grain Dijon mustard
• 2 T honey

4. Teriyaki

• 1/3 c soy sauce
• 1 T rice wine vinegar
• 1 T honey
• 2 t grated ginger

5. Cilantro Lime

• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/4 c chopped cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 t ground cumin

6. Chili Garlic

• 1/3 c soy sauce
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 2 T chili garlic sauce
• Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

1. Choose one of the marinades above.
2. Marinate the chicken thighs for a few hours.
3. In the air fryer, preheat the fryer at 380 for about 3 minutes. Spray the bottom of the air fryer with some olive oil. Place the thighs in a single layer and air fry for 20 minutes at 380. Turn them over and air fry for another 10 minutes until cooked at 165 internal temperature.
4. In the oven, sear them on the stove for 3 minutes per side and place them in a 425 oven for 20 minutes.

Air Fryer Cornish Game Hens

Really nice and crispy!

Ingredients:

• 2 cornish game hens
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T Italian seasoning
• 2 t garlic powder
• 2 t paprika
• 1/2 t lemon zest
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees for about 4 minutes
• In a small bowl, combine all the seasonings.
• Pat the hens dry with a paper towel. Brush them all over with the seasoning mix.
• Place the hens in the air fryer basket, skin side down, and cook at 360 for 30 minutes.
• Turn them over and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
• They are done when the skin is crispy and the internal temperature reaches 165.

Curried Chicken Cantonese

Tasty, delicious, and easy! What can be better than that?

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken thighs, bone in and skin on, cut in half through bone
• 1/2 c sliced onions
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1/4 c pepper, diced
• 3 T curry powder
• 2 c chicken broth
• 2 t soy sauce
• 2 T corn starch dissolved in 2 T water

Directions:

• Brown the chicken, skin side down, in some oil. Season with salt. Turn over and brown the other side, being careful not to cook it too much.
• Transfer the chicken to a dutch oven.
• Add the other ingredients and bring to a boil.
• Cover and simmer on medium heat for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is done.
• Serve it over some steamed rice.