Dining Debbies Way Taco Salad

One of our summertime favorites!!! Taco Salads.  I purchased a couple taco salad bowl forms from a local kitchen store a couple years ago, which makes it very easy to bake your shells (less calories then frying) that you can fill with your favorite Taco Salad ingredients.

Ingredients I use:

Jalapeno Burrito Shells
1-2 lb ground beef (97% lean)
1/4 of an onion (chopped)
2 jalapeno (seeded and chopped)
1 package of McCormick "Hot" Taco Seasoning
Lettuce (shredded or chopped)
Tomatoes (chopped)
Scallions (Chopped)
Black Olives (sliced)
Salsa
Sour Cream
Rotel Cheese Mix (recipe below)
Guacamole (homemade)
Can of Black Beans with Jalapenos
Pickled Jalapenos

Place a burrito shell in the shell form pan and back until crispy about 8 mins.  Continue for the number of bowls needed.

Meanwhile, In a saucepan, brown the ground beef with the chopped onion and jalapeno, until brown.  Add the McCormick seasoning and refill the seasoning envelope with water to add to the pot.  Let it rest on low, while you chop all the vegetables needed for your salad.  Place your black beans in a microwavable container and heat in the microwave until warm.  Layer all the ingredients and top with the rotel cheese mixture, guacamole, pickled jalapenos and sour cream.  Enjoy!

Guacamole Recipe:

2 avocados
1 tomato diced
1/2 red onion
1/2 jalapeno (chopped)
1/4 c chopped cilantro
1/2 lime (juiced)
salt/pepper to taste

Mash you avocados in a bowl, add the chopped onion, tomato, jalapeno and cilantro, squeeze the lime juice over the top of the mixture, add salt/pepper to taste and mix thoroughly.

Rotele Cheese Mixture:

1 - 1lb brick of Mexican Velvetta
1 can of Hot Rotel Canned Tomatoes

Mix the two in a microwavable bowl and heat on 50% for 6 mins until cheese melts into the chopped Rotel tomato mixture, stir often.

Dining Debbies Way Cream Cheese Seafood Log

A quick and good summer favorite with crackers by the pool, is the Cream Cheese Seafood Log.

Ingredients:

1 brick of cream cheese, brought to room tempature
1 package of crab meat (canned will work too)
1 T of Lemon Juice
2 wedges of Chipolata Queso Laughing Cow Cheese
2 t horseradish
1 t Worcestershire sauce
2 shots of Tabasco Sauce
2 scallions chopped finely
couple sprigs of parsley (chopped)
1 cup of finely chopped pecan pieces


Mix together the first 8 ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Place the finely chopped pecan pieces and chopped parsley on a large piece of waxed paper.   Lay the cheese mix across the nut mix to form a log.  Use the was paper to roll the cream cheese log in the nut mixture so it covers the whole log.  Place the log in the refrigerator for an hour or two and serve with crackers.  Makes a great appetizer or poolside snack with wine.


Enjoy!

Dining Debbies Way Orange Chipotle Pork Loin

Orange Chipotle Pork Loin sounds more harder then it truly is, it's something easy that can be prepped in the morning and grilled outside in the evening.  We enjoy it in the summer evenings sitting out on the deck with the fire pit going and a nice bottle of Pinot Noir.  Pork Loins are very versatile and are fun to experiment with when it comes to seasonings and spices.

Orange Chipotle Pork Loin Recipe:

1 1/2-2 lb pork loin
1/2 c of orange juice
1 T of grated orange peel
2 T Chipotle Red pepper spice
1/4 c Brown Sugar
1/4 c Soy Sauce
1 T minced garlic
1 T Black Pepper
1 t salt

Place your pork loin in a Gallon size Ziploc Baggie with all the ingredients listed above and put it into the refrigerator to marinate for a couple hours and let the spices and seasoning marry.  Get your outdoor grill nice and hot and place the pork loin on medium heat for about 10 - 15 mins a side (depending on the size of the loin)  Let it rest on a cutting board for about 10 mins to let the juice flow through the meat and stay moist.  Slice and serve.  I served mine with garlic infused Mashed Potatoes and Homemade Sweet Bread (get the bread maker out or if you have time, the best is made by hand)


Garlic Infused Mashed Potatoes:

6 Baking Potatoes
1 T minced garlic
1/4 c butter
1/4 c milk
2 T shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 T bacon bits (store bought or crumbled leftover bacon)
Salt/Pepper to Taste

Boil your potatoes until softened, put them in a large mixing bowl with all the listed ingredients and beat until creamy, serve with your favorite homemade or store bought gravy.  I served this with a homemade Thyme Mushroom gravy.

Enjoy!

Dining Debbies Way Lime Cilantro Chicken with Thia Coconut Infused Mushroom Risotto

Here's some recipes you can have a little fun with by just switching a few ingredients to your taste.   I was being creative with some items I picked up at the store and adjusted a few ingredients to the everyday recipes of a Lime Cilantro Chicken with a Thai Coconut Infused Mushroom Risotto.  I served it with an Eggplant Stacker recipe that I found through Weight Watchers.

Lime Cilantro Chicken

Ingredients:

3-4 Chicken Breasts
1/2 can of crushed pineapple
1/4 c of fresh lime juice
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro leaves
2 T Olive Oil
dash of orange peel
dash of Texas Pete Hot Sauce
salt/pepper to taste

I marinated the chicken breasts with the ingredients above in a large Zip Lock Bag.  Let it rest in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. (you can let it rest longer if you prepare it in the morning)  Heat an outdoor grill to medium hot temperature and grill to a nice golden crisp texture.  Top with Mango Salsa (See Mahi Mahi Recipe for Mango Salsa recipe)

Thia Coconut Infused Risotto

Ingredients to serve 4

1 Cup uncooked Arborio Rice
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
1/2 chopped purple onion
1 small box of slice mushrooms
3-4 c of Thia Coconut Broth (found in the international cooking aisles)
Salt/pepper to taste

Saute your onion in the olive oil and butter for about 3 minutes, add the mushrooms saute until softened, add the rice and brown for about 2 minutes.  Stir in 1 cup of the broth and stir to absorb the liquids, then add another cup of broth and continue until the Arborio is softened with all the liquid absorbed into the grains.  Serve along side your Lime Cilantro Chicken.  There are many variations for Risotto, just by changing up the vegetables (green pepper, zucchini, asparagus..etc.)  that you saute or the broth (Chicken, seafood, vegetable) you use, you can even add some seafood (shrimp, crab) or meats and it can change the taste to accompany any meal.

Eggplant Stackers

I borrowed this recipe from the Weight Watchers collections and it was outstanding and simple.

Ingredients:

1 Eggplant, sliced into 8 pieces
1 tomato, sliced into 4 pieces
1 tomato, seeds removed and chopped coarse
2 T of chopped basil
1/4 c chopped onion
1 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
dash of oregano
shredded fresh parmesan cheese

Pre-heat oven to 425.  Place the sliced eggplant on a baking dish and season with salt/pepper to taste.  Place in the preheated oven for 15 mins.  In the meantime, Slice the first tomato into 4 slices and set aside. Take the next  tomato, clean out the seeds and rough chop, place in a small mixing bowl with the chopped basil leaves and chopped onion, top with the olive oil, red wine vinegar and oregano, mix together and let it hang out while you finish the eggplant stackers.

Remove the eggplant from the oven and place 1 of the slices of tomatoes on 4 of the eggplant slices, top with 1 T of parmesan cheese, then place another slice of eggplant on top of the tomatoes and top with another Tablespoon of parmesan cheese.  Place it back in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the eggplant is cooked through.  Remove from the oven and top with your tomato mixture that has been hanging out, then serve.

These 3 recipes are easy, even though there looks like there is a lot of work involved.  It's well worth the time. 

Enjoy!

Dining Debbies Way Grilled Mahi Mahi

One of our summer favorites is Grilled Mahi Mahi topped with a Mango Salsa.  It's very light and fresh that fills you up in no time.  I like to serve it with some Saute' Asparagus, Brown Rice and some California rolls on the side with a Garlic Knot.  I am supplying you with the recipes for the Mango Salsa and Grilled Mahi Mahi...

Mahi Mahi Recipe:

2 Mahi Filets
Old Bay Blackened Seasoning
Mandarin Orange Dressing
Fresh Lime Juice:

Place the filets in a gallon size zip lock bag and add the juice from 1 fresh lime squeezed, about 1/4 c of the Mandarin Orange Dressing and sprinkle about 2 T of Old Bay into the bag.. Let it rest for about 2 hours in a refrigerator.

Get your grill nice and hot, place the filet over medium heat and grill about 3-4 mins per side depending how hot your grill grate is.  Serve topped with the Mango Salsa


Mango Salsa

1 Ripe Mango, peeled and cubed
1 T of chopped ginger
1/4 of English Cucumber, chopped small
1/4 of purple onion, chopped small
1 jalapeno, chopped small (with seeds for more heat)
1/2 small can of crushed pineapple
1/4 c chopped cilantro
fresh lime juice from 1 lime
splash of Orange Juice
salt/pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a sealed container and let it rest in your refrigerator for a couple hours to allow the flavors to marry together.  Spoon over fish, rice, or serve with chips.

Dining Debbie's Way Hamming it Up

Sat here trying to decide what to do with a 2lb ham roast I had sitting in the freezer. Since I keep hoping that spring is right around the corner, I focused on something springy!  I decided to roast my ham together with pineapple, onions and butternut squash and this is what I came up with:

2 lb ham
1 butternut squash, cored and chunked
1 onion, chunked
1/2 pineapple, chunked
2 cloves garlic
1 spring of rosemary
5 fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup of Strawberry Rhubarb jam
ground nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste

Place the ham into a grease baking dish, surround it with the chunks of squash, onions and pineapple.  Chop up your cloves of garlic, rosemary, and mint leaves then sprinkle on top of the ingredients.  Top it with the jam, nutmeg and salt/pepper to taste.  Place in a preheated 375 oven for about 45 minutes and serve.

Photo prior to baking:

Dining Debbie's Way Stuffed Green Peppers

Had some fun with green peppers last night.  I wanted to have a bit of Mexican taste, but didn't want all the calories of tortillas.  So I thought Taco Salad, then decided, nah boring.. something more exciting.  So I was wandering through the grocery store and decided stuffed peppers.  Started looking for Poblanos and sure enough my commissary didn't have any in stock, so what next.. Good ole' Green Peppers.  I'll just spice up the meat a little more, and still get the crispness of a pepper.  Off I went, home to throw the recipe together.

Ingredients:

4 Green Peppers, Caps and insides removed and cleaned
1 lb of 92% lean ground beef
1/4 of onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, cleaned and chopped (leave the seeds in for extra heat)
1 can of Ro-tel (Hot)
1 package of Knorr Fiesta Sides Mexican Rice
1/4 c Shredded Cheese
Shot of Texas Pete Hot Sauce

Extra Shredded Cheese for topping

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees.
Clean out peppers and place them in a baking dish.  Brown the beef, onions and jalapenos in a pot and drain the grease.  Make the Mexican Rice as directed on the package and place it in a mixing bowl, add the browned ground beef mixture, can of ro-tel, 1/4 c of shredded cheese and shot of Hot Sauce.  Mix it all together and stuff the filling into the peppers, topped it with the extra shredded cheese and place it in the oven for about 20-25 mins until the cheese browned on top and the pepper skins softened slightly.  Enjoy! Serve with a side of salsa for extra snap!

Photos prior to baking:

 

With the leftover filling, I decided to stuff some Poblano peppers once I found some at another grocery store and whipped up a quick Jalapeno Cheese Enchilada sauce for the top.  I just replaced the green peppers with Poblano and left off the shredded cheese for the top and made the enchilada sauce.

To make the quick enchilada cheese sauce, I melted 3 Jalapeno flavored weight watchers cheese triangles (or laughing cow works too) in a pot with 1/3 can of green enchilada sauce and 1/4 cup of Mexican shredded cheese, once the cheese started to melt, I continued to add the rest of the can of green enchilada sauce and kept whisking to keep it smooth.  Once the peppers had cooked in the over (as directed above) I topped the casserole dish with the warm cheese, threw it back into the oven for about 10 more minutes until the cheese browned on the top..

Dining Debbie's Way Spicy Shrimp Dish over Rice

A favorite recipe that was given to me by my husband's Aunt, was her Spicy Shrimp dish over rice that we fell in love with the first time we had it.  It became a family favorite and it's very creamy, spicy and filling.  It great to serve on a cold evening when you just need that extra something to warm you up a little bit.  It's very quick to make and many changes can be made to personalize the dish to your families tastes.


What is needed?
1 T Chopped Onion
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 green pepper
1 box of sliced mushrooms
2 T Butter or margarine
1/4 t salt
1/4 t red pepper
1/4 t white pepper
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/4 t black pepper
1 1/2 c Heavy whipping cream (or for those trying to eat lighter 11/2 c fat-free half and half)
4 T grated Parmesan cheese
4 T Ketchup (I prefer Heinz)
1 1/2 lbs of Shrimp

Rice - 3 Cups made as directed by package

Optional additions -- Canned Clams, Canned Crab, Canned baby shrimps (Turns it into Spicy Seafood over Rice)  For more spice - add a jalapeno or two with the other vegetables.

In a medium saucepan, saute onions, garlic, mushrooms and green pepper in the butter.  Add the salt and 4 pepper seasonings  Stir in the whipping cream, parmesan cheese and ketchup.  Bring to a slow boil, whisking occasionally.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until it starts to thicken.  Add your shrimp (other seafoods, if you like) and serve over hot cooked rice.

This recipe is great served with a Parmesan Garlic toasted loaf of bread or garlic bread sticks and a side salad with your favorite dressing.  Try a nice Pinot Grigio to go along with theme.

Enjoy and Cook on!

Dining Debbie's Way Weight Watchers Fiery Shrimp with Bok Choy and Rice

As I mentioned in a past recipe, we have been following weight watchers points on a regular basis and I recently came across one of their recipes that my kids and friends wanted to know how to make it.  I figured I would post it in my blog, but I must give credit where credit is due (Thanks Weight Watchers)

Fiery Shrimp with Bok Choy and Rice

3 tsp Canola Oil (I used Olive Oil)
1lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1c matchstick-cut carrots
2 baby bok choy, quartered lenthwise
6 scallions, cut into 11/2 inc lengths
2 Tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2c Jasmine Rice
11/2 c chicken broth
1 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4-1/2 t red pepper flakes ( I replaced the flakes with 1 1/2 t Asian Chili paste)

Heat 1 1/2tsp oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp and stir-fry until just opaque in center, 3 minutes.  Transfer to medium bowl.  Add remaining 1 1/2tsp oil to skillet, add carrots, bok choy, scallions, ginger and garlic, stir-fry until fragrant, 2 mins.  Add rice tossing to coat.  Stir in broth, soy sauce and pepper flakes; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 20-22 minutes.  Add the shrimp back to the skillet, cook stirring frequently, until heated through, 3 mins.

Delicious! Points Plus Value 6 per serving, makes 4 servings.


Weight Watchers Magazine Jan/February 2012 pg 131

Dining Debbie's Way Buffalo Chicken/Shrimp Taco

I have to get this recipe down somewhere, since I flew by the seat of my pants on this one.  My husband and I have been on Weight Watchers for over a year and I try to come up new and exciting recipes.  I really had a taste for buffalo chicken wings last night, but the are high in fat, so it was time to get creative.  Then I started thinking less chicken and more seafood and that will help the calorie count also, but still getting my chicken taste.  Here is what I came up with..

8 oz of chicken breast tenders, cubed
5 oz of shrimp, raw cleaned tail and shells removed, chopped
1 Tbl Olive Oil
1/2 c carrot matchsticks
1 jalapeno
1/3 red onion, chopped
Texas Pete hot sauce
lettuce, shredded
tomato, diced
Shredded reduced fat mexican cheese (I use Weight Watchers brand)
6 soft corn tortilla shells, warmed
Dash of Light Ranch dressing (optional)

Cube the chicken breast and place in a small baggie with Texas Pete sauce to marinate.  Do the same with the shrimp in a separate baggie.
Heat the olive oil in a fry pan, add the chicken, carrots, jalapeno, onion and saute' when it starts to soften add the shrimp until the chicken and shrimp are cooked through.  Add more Texas Pete sauce to turn the mixture a nice orange color.  Take your warm tortilla shell, top with mixture, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese and a dash of light ranch dressing (for the full buffalo chicken affect)  This recipe will serve about 2 people (3 soft tacos each)  So double it up!

They turned out extremely tasty and fun.  Enjoy and Cook on!

Dining Debbie's Way Ribs

Everyone has their own way to make ribs and I have tried making them many different ways from wet rub to dry rub, to crock pot bakes.  The one I found to work the best for me and my family really enjoys is starting with a dry rub, then baking in the oven at a very low temperature, then basting on the grill with BBQ sauce.  It is a time consuming process, but it is well worth the wait.

Dry Rub Ingredients:
In a small bowl, combine the following -
1 c  Brown Sugar
1 Tbl Old Bay Blackened Seasoning
1 Tbl Garlic
1 Tbl Red Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbl Creole Seasoning
2 tsp Ground Fresh Nutmeg
2 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Salt


Ribs:

4 lbs of Pork Spare Ribs

Wet Mop:


1 1/2 c Ketchup (I prefer Heinz)
3/4 c Brown Sugar
2 Tbl honey
2 Tbl Soy Sauce3 Tbl brown mustard
3 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
3 tsp White Vinegar
1 tsp Texas Pete hot sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Place all the ingredients in a small sauce pan on the stove over medium heat, whisk until smooth and saucy.

Place the rack of ribs on a large piece of tin foil, coat one side of the ribs with a dry rub, turn over and coat the other side.  Wrap the tin foil around the ribs to form a tent. (You may need to use several pieces of foil, to avoid leakage)  Place on a cookie sheet and put in a 250 degree oven for 5 1/2 hours.  Place in the refrigerator to store until grilling.  When you are ready to grill, let your ribs come to room temperature, while preparing your wet mop sauce.  Preheat your grill until hot and place the ribs (foil removed) straight on the grill.  Mop on one side and let it sit on the grill 10-15 mins, turn over and mop the other side, let it sit an additional 10-15 mins until the mop sauce sets into the meat and the meat is starting to fall off the bones.  Remove from the grill and serve with the leftover mop sauce you did not use.

Serving suggestions - Serve with corn on the cob, baked beans, cole slaw and garlic toast.

Dining Debbie's Way Shrimp Boil

Who doesn't like easy?  I love making a shrimp boil because you can do everything in one pot and it makes a complete meal in a matter of minutes.  We made the shrimp boil on New Years day this year as it was quick and easy to feed 10 of us after a long night on New Years Eve.  We did grill some ribs to add to the plates to make it a surf and turf meal, but the ribs were prepared at an earlier time and just placed on the grill to warm up.  To make this boil, all you need is the following:

1 Zatarain Shrimp Boil Bag
2 bottle of beer (any kind)
8 small red potatoes, quartered
8 small frozen corn cobs
4 lbs of Raw peeled, tail-on shrimp
1/2 c of butter melted
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place the Shrimp boil bag in a 15-qt stock pot filled with about 5 qts of water, add the bottles of beer.  Bring to a nice steady boil, add the potatoes, cover and continue boiling for about 6-8 minutes, add the corn cobs, cover and continue boiling for about 5-6 more minutes, add the shrimp, cover and boil for about 3 mins.  Your shrimp will be a nice orange/pink color indicating they are finished cooking.  Strain the shrimp out into a large bowl. Strain the corn and potatoes, discard the boil bag and place in the same bowl as the shrimp.  You can reserve about 1 cup of the broth for a bread dip (recipe below).  Drizzle the melted butter of the top and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste  Makes 8 servings.

Suggestion for the reserved 1 cup of seafood boil broth.  Whisk into the broth; 1/4 c of olive oil, 1 t garlic and sprinkle with ground pepper.  Serve along toasted baguettes slices for dipping.