Category: Main Courses / Dinner

Glazed Beef Tenderloin (with Herbed New Potatoes)


This is, by far, my favorite recipe for beef tenderloin (filet mignon) that I’ve been making for years. The marinade is extremely simple, yet so very tasty.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup steak sauce
  • 1 1/2 tbsp packed brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic or 1 tbsp garlic powder (optional)
  • 4 beef tenderloin steaks, about 1 inch thick
  • 8 small new potatoes (1 lb), cut lengthwise in half
  • 2 tbsp water
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh or 1/4 tsp dried rosemary leaves, crumbled
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh or 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

  1. In shallow glass or plastic dish, mix steak sauce, brown sugar & garlic; reserve 2 tablespoons sauce.
  2. Add beef to remaining sauce (about 1/4 cup); turn to coat.
  3. Cover and refrigerate, turning beef 2 or 3 times, at least 1 hour but no longer than 24 hours.
  4. Heat gas or charcoal grill.
  5. In 2-quart microwavable casserole, place potatoes and water; cover.
  6. Microwave on high 3 to 5 minutes or until potatoes are just tender.
  7. Place potatoes on sheet of heavy-duty foil.
  8. Spray potatoes with cooking spray; sprinkle with rosemary, thyme and paprika. Wrap securely in foil.
  9. When grill is heated, place beef and packet of potatoes on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill over medium coals; cover grill.
  10. Cook 7 minutes. Turn beef and potatoes; brush reserved sauce over beef. Cover and grill about 6 to 8 minutes longer for medium beef doneness; remove from heat.
  11. Sprinkle salt and pepper over potatoes.

Cherry-Arugula Salad With Almonds & Tarragon


 Cherries and almonds are a classic pair and make a delicious salad combination with tart arugula and fragrant tarragon.

Ingredients

  •  2 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 small shallot, chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 6 tbsp slivered almonds, divided
  • 1/2 pound cherries (about 2 cups), pitted and halved, divided
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
  • 5 oz baby arugula
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked whole grains (e.g. barley, farro, wheat berries, wild rice, or even quinoa)

Directions

  1. In a blender, combine vinegar, shallot, mustard, water, 3 tbsp of the almonds and 1/4 cup of the pitted cherries.
  2. Blend until very smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in tarragon.
  3. Combine arugula, cooked grains and remaining cherries in a large bowl.
  4. Toss with the dressing and garnish with the remaining 3 tbsp almonds.

Poached Halibut with Oven-Roasted Vegetables & Mint Tea Broth


Recipe courtesy of Carla Hall/Clean Eating magazine

Ingredients

  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 baby eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes
  • 4 cloves garlic, whole
  • 1 small zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 high-quality mint tea bags
  • 1/2 bunch basil
  • 4 6-oz halibut fillets
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 7 to 8 basil leaves, cut into thin strips, for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare 2 sheet pans by misting them with cooking spray, then sprinkle with salt.
  2. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on half of 1 sheet pan, and place tomatoes and garlic on other half. Spray tops lightly with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Place pan in oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Flip eggplant slices and toss tomatoes. (Tomatoes will blister as they cook.)
  4. Continue to cook for 5 to 7 more minutes.
  5. Remove pan from oven and place tomatoes on top of eggplant to flavor eggplant and keep slices moist.
  6. Keep oven at same temperature.
  7. On second sheet pan, lay zucchini slices in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mist lightly with cooking spray.
  8. Place pan in oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Flip zucchini and cook for 5 more minutes.
  9. While vegetables are in oven, pour broth into a 10-inch skillet and bring to a boil.
  10. Add tea bags and basil and season with salt. Allow to simmer for 7 minutes, then remove tea bags.
  11. When vegetables are close to being ready, bring broth to a simmer and place fish in skillet. Cover with parchment paper.
  12. Poach fish until it is white and a toothpick inserts very easily, about 12 minutes.
  13. Place fish on a plate and strain broth into a small bowl; adjust seasoning if necessary. 
  14. To serve, divide vegetables into 4 shallow bowls, place fish on top, then pour broth over fish.
  15. Garnish with pine nuts and basil leaves.

Sweet & Sour Chicken


Another wonderful recipe from Clean Eating

To save time & make this Asian-inspired meal even simpler than it already is, pre-chop your vegetables and let your chicken marinate in the fridge for up to 8 hours ahead of time. Then, when you’re ready to eat, it’ll just take 10 minutes to get dinner on the table.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp raw honey
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ging, grated
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/4 lb boneless,  skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts), chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks (about 1 cup)
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks (about 1 cup)
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1/2 fresh pineapple, cut into 1 inch cubes (about 1 3/4 cups)
  • 12 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (optional)

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger and pepper flakes.
  2. Place chicken in a large shallow dish and pour soy sauce mixture over chicken, tossing gently.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
  4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  5. Add chicken and marinade, saute for 5 minute or until vegetables are slightly tender.
  6. Add pineapple and cook for 2 more minutes.
  7. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately over rice for a complete meal, if desired.

Miso & Green Tea Marinated Striped Bass


Recipe courtesy of Clean Eating

Shiro, or sweet-white miso, is the sweetest and lowest in sodium of all the miso paste varieties. Made from rice, soybeans, sea salt and koji (cooked rice and/or soya beans that have been inoculated with a fermentation culture, then incubated for about 45 hours – the secret to good miso), this miso paste will not overpower the striped bass. Unlike many miso marinades, CE‘s version is relatively low in sodium and sugar.

Ingredients

   Marinade:

  • 2 bags green tea
  • 2 tbsp shiro miso paste
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp ginger, minced
  • Juice 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tbsp agave nectar
  • 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
  • 1/8 tsp sesame oil

   Fish:

  • 4 striped bass fillets, skin and pin-bones removed (about 4 to 6 oz each)
  • Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 tsp sesame seeds

Directions

Make Ahead:

  1. Prepare marinade: Bring 2/3 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat, remove from heat, add tea bags and steep for 8 minutes, uncovered. Remove tea bags and discard. Whisk miso paste into tea until combined thoroughly. Allow to cool slightly and whisk in remaining marinade ingredients. Cover loosely and refrigerate until cooled completely.
  2. Place fish fillets into a resealable bag and pour in cooled marinade. Seal bag, removing excess air and lay flat on a small baking tray. Place into freezer until ready to use. Marinated fish may be frozen for about 4 months.

Day of:

  1. Remove marinated fish from freezer and place into fridge overnight, or in the morning for evening usage. Once defrosted, fish will keep refrigerated for about 24 hours.
  2.  Preheat oven to 400°F.
  3. Remove fillets from marinade and place onto a parchment–lined baking dish or small tray, then spoon marinade over each fillet. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and place into oven.
  4. Bake, uncovered, for 12 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily when pierced gently with a fork.
  5. Serve immediately with a bit of pan liquids drizzled over each fillet and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Tip: You don’t have to stick to striped bass in this recipe. Use the freshest white fish you can find – tilapia, halibut and black cod are all excellent substitutions.

Noodles & Tofu in Basil With Mint Dressing


Heart whole-wheat angel hair pasta cooks in just four minutes and makes this Asian-flavored dish much more satisfying than the standard rice noodle due to its filling whole grains and fiber. And, basil isn’t just for Italian food-paired with mint, it takes on an exotic spiciness.

 Ingredients

  • 16 oz extra-firm water-packed tofu (not silken)
  • 12 oz whole-wheat angel hair pasta
  • 4 tsp fresh ginger, minced
  • 4 tsp raw honey
  • 2 tsp dark sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, shredded
  • 2 tbsp fresh spearmint, shredded
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper

Directions

  1. Drain tofu, then wrap in a kitchen towel. Put on a cutting board, place weight on top, such as a heavy pot, and let drain for 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain well.
  3. Cut tofu into 1/2 inch cubes.
  4. In a medium bowl, mix ginger, honey, oil, soy sauce, basil and spearmint. Add tofu & pepper, tossing to coat.
  5. Add pasta to bowl with tofu mixture and toss gently to coat pasta with dressing.
  6. Serve at room temperature or cover & chill in refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Pan-Seared Chicken with Italian-Style Salsa


This delicious chicken recipe is low in calories and fat, but gives you a nice dose of protein.

Recipe courtesy of celebrity chef, caterer and TLC cooking maven, Deborah Fewell (in Clean Eating).

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 9 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 9 yellow teardrop or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped
  • 3 full sprigs fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 tsp chile flakes (if you want more heat, increase by 1/4 tsp at a time)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 1-2 tbsp balsamic glaze*
  • Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-6 oz each)

*Balsamic glaze can be found in your local supermarket. Or, you can make it yourself by boiling 2 cups balsamic vinegar over med-high heat until it’s reduced to a thick consistency or coats the back of a spoon (about 30 min).

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, toss together 1 tbsp oil & the next 8 ingredients. Season with salt & pepper; set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 400F.
  3. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over med-high heat.
  4. Season chicken with salt & pepper.
  5. Add remaining 2 tbsp oil to pan, then place chicken into pan.
  6. Let chicken brown and cook for about 3 minutes, then turn over to cook on opposite side for another 3 minutes.
  7. Transfer skillet to oven and cook chicken for 6-7 minutes.
  8. Remove chicken from oven and transfer to plate, spooning 1/4 of salsa evenly over each breast.
  9. Serve hot.

Lemon Herb Chicken


This is a quick, light and delicious recipe that should take only 30 minutes from start to finish!

Recipe courtesy of Women’s Health Magazine

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tsp olive oil
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Juice & zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley
  • 1/3 cup fresh mint
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in an oven-proof skillet on high heat.
  3. Place chicken in skillet and sear for 2 minutes per side.
  4. While the chicken cooks, put the 4 tsp olive oil, along with the lemon juice, zest and herbs into a blender or processor & pulse until well mixed.
  5. Place the skillet with the chicken in oven & roast for 8 minutes.
  6. Remove skillet from oven and place chicken on a plate.
  7. Season with salt and pepper.
  8. Pour the wine into the skillet, scraping any brown bits from bottom of pan.
  9. Add the herb sauce to skillet and cook on stove top for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
  10. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Almond Chicken Dijon


Here’s a light and easy chicken dish that takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients

  • 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb)
  • 2 tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup almonds, chopped

Directions

  1. Heat over to 375F.
  2. Place chicken in lightly greased 13×9 baking dish.
  3. Mix mayo and mustard, spread on top of chicken. Sprinkle with nuts & press in slightly.
  4. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Hot Seared Chicken


Here’s a low-fat, low-cholesterol and low-calorie chicken dish that’s quick & easy to whip up during the week.

Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 lbs)
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 1/2 tsp blackened seasoning mix or jerk seasoning (dry)
  • 1/8 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp butter or margarine
  • 1/4 cup water

Directions

  1. Remove fat from chicken.
  2. Mix 1 1/2 tsp of lime juice, seasoning mixture and cumin.
  3. Rub mixture evenly over both sides of chicken.
  4. Spray 10 inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray & heat over medium-high heat.
  5. Melt butter/margarine in skillet.
  6. Cook chicken in butter/margarine about 8 minutes, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink when center of thickest pieces are cut.
  7. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.
  8. Add remaining 1 1/2 tsp lime juice and the water to drippings in skillet.
  9. Heat to boiling. Boil & stir about 45 seconds or until liquid is reduced to about 2 tbsp.
  10. Spoon sauce over chicken.