Scallop Chowder

Now this isn't Splash Cafe worthy or anything...but it is dang good for something healthy. Plus, its easy to make! I prepared 2 other dishes while it was simmering!

Side Note: If you consider yourself a budget shopping like Tenna does, prepare yourself for a bit of sticker shock. The scallops alone cost $25. The whole meal was probably around $40 for 8 servings. Just a heads up...doesn't make it any less delish.

Side Note Deux: Next time I make this, I may throw in a couple of strips of crumbled bacon. Because bacon makes everything THAT much better.

Scallop Chowder

Serves 8 (1 1/4 cup servings)

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons butter
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled Yukon gold or red potato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups clam juice (found near the tuna)
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 lbs sea scallops, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 1/2 cups half-and-half (I used fat free)
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Directions:

Melt 2 teaspoons butter in a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion; sauté for 5 minutes or until tender. Add 1 teaspoon garlic, and sauté for 1 minute. Add potato, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper; cook for 2 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Sprinkle flour over potato mixture, and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add clam juice and milk; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender.

Partially mash potato using a potato masher. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, Pernod, and thyme; simmer 10 minutes. Add scallops and half-and-half; cook 5 minutes or until scallops are done. Sprinkle with chives.

Tenna's Crab Cakes

After living just across the river from the Maryland state line for 4 years, I got quite spoiled by the incredible crab cakes the state has to offer. I found this recipe, made a few small changes to it, the most importantly was choosing to bake them, as opposed to frying. They turned out really well and with a side of fresh asparagus made an amazing dinner. Feel free to use Panko instead of regular bread crumbs...I just happened to not have Panko on hand (oddly enough).

Tenna's Crab Cakes

Serves 4 (two crab cakes each)

Ingredients:

1 green onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 egg
1/2 tsp minced fresh parsley
Cayenne pepper
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 pound white or claw crab meat, picked free of any bits of shell

Directions:

To prepare the crab cakes, combine the onion, bell pepper, garlic, cream, mustard, egg, parsley, cayenne pepper and 1/2 cup bread crumbs, to taste, and mix well. Gently fold in the crab meat.

Form the mixture into 8 patties, about 1/2-inch thick. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining bread crumbs with the Parmesan. Pat this topping onto both sides of the patties. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Baked for 7 to 10 minutes in a 400 degree F oven until lightly browned on top.

Italian Meatball Burgers

I love, LOVE this recipe. Why? Because it doesn't taste healthy, of course! I also served this with some fresh spinach that wilted when I heated the whole thing up in its tupperware. YUM!

Side note: The original recipe calls to grill the burgers...but some of us are not lucky enough to have an indoor grill. As with a lot of the recipes we post on here, grilled can equal using an outdoor grill, the George Foreman or using a broiler.

Side note Deux: Use fresh mozzarella...it makes all the difference in the world

Italian Meatball Burgers

Serves 6

Ingredients:

8 oz sweet turkey Italian sausage
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 lb 4% fat ground beef

Cooking spray
2 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
6 Sandwich Thins
3/4 cup fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce

Directions:

Prepare grill.

Remove casings from sausage. Combine sausage, oregano, basil, salt, fennel seeds, garlic powder, and ground beef. Divide beef mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes. Turn patties over; grill 2 minutes. Divide fresh mozzarella cheese evenly over patties, and grill an additional 5 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°. Remove from grill; let stand 5 minutes.

Place 1 patty on bottom half of each thin; top each serving with 2 tablespoons sauce and top half of thin.

Spicy Chicken "Fried" Rice

Let's be honest...no healthy fried rice recipe is going to taste like the real thing. Is this dish really good? Yes. Does it taste like Good Taste Takeout (shout out to our DC readers) fried rice, which I widely consider to be the best fried rice EVER? No. But, it's also a lot better for waistline so it's really the readers choice on this.

Side Note: If you are making the brown rice as the veggies are cooking, just throw it into the freezer for a few minutes before you toss it in. That will give it enough time to cool down.

Spicy Chicken "Fried" Rice

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1/2 c. less-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

2 tsp dark sesame oil

3/4 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tbsp canola oil

2 cups diced red bell pepper (about 2)

1 cup diced onion

1/4 c. thinly sliced green onions

8oz sliced mushrooms

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2.5 cups cold cooked brown rice

2 cups diced cooked chicken (about 1 lb)

8oz sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped

1/3 c. chopped, unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

Directions:

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl, stir well with a whisk.

Heat canola oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, diced onion, mushrooms and 2 T. green onions to pan; stir-fry for 3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; stir-fry 1 minute. Add rice, chicken, and water chestnuts; stir-fry for 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring gently. Add soy sauce mixture; cook 2 minutes, tossing gently to coat. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons green onions and peanuts.

Garlic Basil Shrimp

This dish has two things going for it: it's delish and it's extremely quick to make. The longest part is waiting for the orzo to cook. What could be better?

Garlic Basil Shrimp

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tbsp EVOO

1.25lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 garlic gloves

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or more if you like it more spicy)

3/4 cup dry white wine

1.5 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

3 cups cooked orzo pasta

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the shrimp and cook, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the oil remaining in the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook over high high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and basil and season the sauce the salt and pepper. Return the shrimp to the pan and cook until just heated through. Serve atop orzo.

Strawberry Shortcake

Don't walk, RUN to the farmers market and make this NOW.

Best Strawberry Shortcake EVER

Serves a lot

Ingredients:

1 angel food cake

for the custard:

8oz package cream cheese softened
14oz can sweetened condensed milk

12oz container frozen whipped topping, thawed

For the glaze:
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons strawberry gelatin
1 cup water
2 cups fresh strawberries, cut in 1/2 (if berries are extra large, they can be cut into quarters)
Whole fresh strawberries and mint leaves, for garnish

Directions:

Slice cake, using a serrated knife, horizontally into 3 equal layers.

For the custard:
Mix together cream cheese, condensed milk, and whipped topping in a bowl; set aside.

For the glaze:
In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar, cornstarch, and gelatin; add water. Cook stirring over medium heat until thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Fold in strawberries.

For assembly:
Place 1 layer of cake in a large clear bowl. Top with a layer of glaze, followed by a layer of custard mixture. Repeat layering in this order for remaining cake, glaze and custard. Top cake with 3 whole fresh strawberries and fresh mint leaves.

Greek Goddess Wrap

I saw this recipe in Sunset magazine (what, my mom gets it!) and was immediately drawn to it. There was a couple of issues...the most importantly that it wasn't that healthy. But with a few changes and a MAJOR reduction in the amount of sauce used, this becomes a very tasty lunch.

Side note: This makes A LOT of dressing. If you won't use it for something else, I would reduce by 1/3-1/2. (However it rocks so I would probably find a reason to use it)

Side note part deux: I'm thinking feta would also be awesome in this!

Greek Goddess Wrap

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4oz mushrooms, thinly sliced

1tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 cups shredded skinned rotisserie chicken

4oz baby spinach

4 whole-wheat tortillas

1 yellow pepper, cut into strips

4 thin slices muenster cheese

For dressing:

1 garlic glove

2 tbsp each roughly chopped parsley, chives and fresh tarragon

5-7 kalamata olives, depitted (is that a word?)

1tbsp white wine vinegar

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup sour cream (if you hate sour cream, you could use plain yogurt)

salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients for dressing in food processor and pulse until well blended.

Make wraps: In a medium bowl, toss chicken with about 1/2 cup dressing until evenly coated. Lay tortillas flat on a work surface. Arrange equal portions of chicken down the center of each. Evenly top chicken with bell pepper, mushroom, cheese and spinach. (if you wanted to, you could add another drizzle of dressing. But honestly, you don't need it). Fold tortilla over short sides of filling, then roll up, starting from long side of filling.