Tag: lemon juice

Guiltless Blue Cheese Dip/Dressing


Healthy Blue Cheese Dressing

With summer quickly approaching, I’m doing my best to eat healthier without sacrificing flavor. I’ve been marinating chicken wings (yes, I’m baking them), and decided I wanted a blue cheese dip to accompany them this time, but know that packs a punch with fat and calories, so was on the hunt for a lighter recipe. I found quite a few using non-fat Greek yogurt, and went with the one I wanted to try, making a couple of modifications. I love that this is about half the calories of your traditional blue cheese dressing and the only fat comes from the blue cheese/gorgonzola. Blue cheese lovers rejoice!!!

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp. gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbles
  • 1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt (I used Fage)
  • Juice of 1/4 small lemon
  • 1/2 tbsp. white vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • Pinch garlic powder
  • Pinch onion powder
  • Drizzle of honey or agave

Directions

  1. Combine blue cheese, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Worcestershire and vinegar in a bowl and mix well.
  2. Add all seasonings and a drizzle of agave or honey and stir well with a fork.
  3. Serve with chicken wings, your favorite salad, veggies, etc.

The thickness of the dressing will vary depending on the brand of Greek yogurt you use. If necessary, add water (one tablespoon at a time) and stir until dressing reaches desired consistency.

Top ↑

Baked Tilapia


More Tilapia! I decided to make this dish last night since I had two remaining vacuumed-sealed frozen filets in the freezer and really didn’t feel like venturing out to the grocery story, and because it’s easy (and quick) to make. It turned out super delicious and just melts in your mouth with a nice buttery flavor, hint of lemon, and little salty tang from the capers.

Baked Tilapia and Green Beans

Ingredients

  • 2 tilapia fillets (6 oz. each)
  • 3 tbsp. butter, melted
  • 3 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder
  • 2 tbsp. capers, drained
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/8 tsp. paprika

Directions

  1. Place tilapia in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
  2. Season fish with salt, garlic and onion powder.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the butter and lemon juice; pour over the fillets.
  4. Sprinkle with oregano, paprika and capers.
  5. Bake, uncovered, at 425°F for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Top ↑

Avocado Cilantro Hummus


What can I say about hummus… it’s yummy, healthy and now I know, super easy to make at home. There are so many variations to suit your taste buds, the possibilities are almost endless. Sweet potato, pumpkin, black bean, sun-dried tomato, roasted rep pepper… you get the idea. I think this recipe is great as is, but if you’re more of a lime person, feel free to substitute lime juice instead of lemon.

Avocado Cilantro Hummus

Ingredients

  • 1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 ripe avocado, pitted & roughly chopped
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. Tahini
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 2-3 tbsp. water
  • Pinch cayenne pepper, optional
  • Ground pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. In a food processor, combine garbanzo beans, avocado, cilantro, garlic, Tahini, lemon juice, and salt. Process until smooth. 
  2. With machine running, add olive oil through feed tube in a slow steady stream, then add water, 1 tbsp. at a time until oil is incorporated and mixture is very creamy.
  3. Add cayenne, if using, and pepper to taste, and stir well.
  4. Serve with pita bread, chips and/or vegetables.

Top ↑

BBQ Sauce


I came across Carla Hall’s BBQ Chicken recipe on The Chew’s website while I was searching for chicken dishes as I had some chicken thighs that needed to be made right away, put in the freezer or thrown out. The comments on the page said there were a few missing ingredients that were on the show, so I watched the video from that day, and Carla mentioned a few of them that weren’t listed. I decided to give it a try with the addition of those ingredients, in the amounts I thought suitable, and it turned out amazing! I absolutely love this sauce!

Ingredients

Jerk Chicken Rub:

  • 2 tbsp. paprika
  • 1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
  • ½ tbsp. onion powder
  • ½ tbsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ tsp. dried thyme
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. coriander
  • ½ tsp. ground cloves
  • ½ tsp. ginger
  • ½ tsp. salt

Sauce:

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp. Worcestershire
  • 2 tbsp. lemon Juice
  • 1 tsp. Jerk Chicken Rub

Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients together for the chicken rub in a small bowl.
  2. Mix all barbecue sauce ingredients (which includes 1 teaspoon jerk chicken rub made above) in a small pot and simmer over a low heat for 15 – 20 minutes. Adjust salt, if necessary.

I cooked my three chicken thighs (seasoned with salt & pepper) in a little extra virgin olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes on each side, then transferred to a 350F oven for approximately another 10 minutes. Once cooked through, I removed from the oven & brushed the pieces with the barbecue sauce. 

Top ↑

Cocktail Sauce


I recently bought some shrimp to make another batch of my (yummy) shrimp stew, and had about a dozen leftover, which immediately led to thoughts of devouring having shrimp cocktail. Then I realized, I didn’t have any cocktail sauce in the house, and figured I could just whip some up. After making this recipe, I probably won’t ever buy ready-made again! Oh, and I love that it takes about two minutes to make! Easy peasy!

Ingredients

  • 5 tbsp. Ketchup
  • 2 tbsp. chili sauce (I used Huy Fong chili garlic sauce since I had it on hand – original recipe calls for Heinz)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. prepared horseradish (or more if you want to increase the heat)
  • 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. brown sugar

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
  2. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Recipe adapted from Ina Garten-Barefoot Contessa

Top ↑

New York Strip Steak (with Tarragon Melting Sauce)


When I’m in the mood for steak, I usually pick up beef tenderloin or tri tip, but the Smart & Final near my house only carries NY strips so I will occasionally grab one if I don’t feel like heading over to Trader Joe’s or Von’s (that’s rare, but it does happen). About a week ago, I got a NY Strip and was looking at various recipes to try something different, and came across one from Paula Deen that tickled my fancy, so decided to give it a whirl. The marinade is easy and quite tasty, and I plan to use it the next time I make a filet. As for the melting sauce, it was a nice compliment to the steak. In the event you didn’t know, I’m into sauces big-time, so was eager to taste this one. The recipe for it does yield a lot, even though I’ve already cut it in half…twice, and I only use a very small amount since it is butter-based (we know Paul Deen likes her butter), but it’s also great on baked potatoes and warm rolls.

NY Strip w/Tarragon Melting Sauce and Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus oil for skillet
  • 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 3 (1-inch thick) boneless New York strip steaks
  • Tarragon Melting Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

  1. In a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag, combine oil, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire and pepper. (I like to press a little salt & ground pepper onto the steaks before marinating).
  2. Add steaks to bag. Press the air out of the bag, and seal tightly. Turn the bag several times to distribute the marinade; place the bag in a bowl and refrigerate 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally.
  3. Heat a large oiled skillet over medium-high heat.
  4. Remove steaks from marinade, discarding marinade.
  5. Place steaks in hot skillet; cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side or to the desired degree of doneness.
  6. Remove steaks to a serving plate, and keep warm.
  7. Top each steak with a teaspoon (or desired amount) of Tarragon Melting Sauce.

Tarragon Melting Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tbsp. green onion, minced 
  • 1/4 tbsp. fresh tarragon leaves, minced (or 1/4 tsp. dried tarragon) – you could substitute rosemary
  • 1/4 tbsp. fresh parsley leaves, chopped (or 1/4 tsp. dried parsley)
  • 1/4 cup light or nonfat sour cream
  • 1/4 tsp. lemon zest
  • 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
  • Pinch of salt

Directions

  1. In a bowl, add all ingredients together and mix until smooth. Cover, and refrigerate.

Top ↑

Edamame Puree (and Wonton Cups)


I’ve been on a sushi kick recently, and exploring the web for various ideas on tuna tartare,  poke, etc., and came across a recipe from Tyler Florence (love him) for sliced tuna with edamame puree on a wonton crisp. The puree intrigued me since I love edamame and it contained wasabi, another favorite of mine in the sushi world. I decided to try it last night, and am very happy I did! And, it’s so good that I could eat it by the spoonful.

I opted to make spicy tuna again to go with this (in a wonton cup) simply because I love my spicy tuna, but it would also be great with tuna tartare or slices of marinated tuna on top. I should also add that wonton cups or crackers are very simple to make and add a nice flavor (and crunch), so I’ll post those instructions here as well.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound package frozen soy beans
  • 1/2 tbsp. wasabi powder or paste (I added an additional 1/4 tsp. of regular wasabi)
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 3 tbsp. water
  • 1 tbsp. canola oil

Directions

  1. Blanch the soy beans in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Drain, then pinch the beans out of their pods and put them in a food processor.
  2. Add the wasabi, salt, lemon juice, and water. Puree to break up the soy beans.
  3. Pour in the canola oil and puree until smooth. Refrigerate.

For the wontons cups or crackers, the package contains instructions on how to prepare them, but I prefer to bake mine. I picked up two different types – one from the grocery store which are egg roll wrappers, and the other, smaller wrappers from a Japanese market. Both taste the same, but obviously, the egg roll wrappers are much larger. To make the cups, I used the smaller ones and a mini cupcake pan. For crackers, you can cut either one diagonally, or use a cookie cutter to make different shapes. These instructions are for making the cups, as I think they make a pretty presentation and there are so many options in terms of what you can fill them with.

Ingredients

  • 24 small wonton skins/wrappers
  • 1/4 cup sesame oil

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Take a mini cupcake pan & brush inside of each cup lightly with sesame oil.
  3. Place wonton wrappers inside the cups. (I like to brush the top of the wrappers with a little sesame oil before placing in pan, but this is optional.)
  4. Bake for approximately 6-8 minutes, until they get slightly brown & crisp.
  5. Fill with the edamame puree and tuna, or your choice of fillings.
Made this wonton using a cookie cutter.

Top ↑