My Friend Kim's Ceviche Recipe

A few years back my brother asked me to make him some ceviche, but I told him I had no idea how and that I’d never even tried it. I forgot about making and trying said ceviche until last summer, when I was having a potluck BBQ and my friend Kim said she wanted to bring her recipe. Finally I would get to try the elusive ceviche! When I first laid eyes on it I loved all the vibrant colors and textures. We always eat with our eyes first, right ? After seeing how pretty it was, I couldn’t wait to try it… It was love at first bite. The tender citrus flavored fish, the sweet mango, creamy avocado, bright cilantro and spicy Serrano pepper were all singing in my mouth. I couldn’t wait to find out how to make this delicious treat. When she described her method to me, I was eager to make my own as it seemed so simple. There’s just a bit of chopping involved but I promise, you won’t be disappointed. I love how this recipe is really hard to mess up. If you don’t like onion, just leave it out. If you love avocado, add two (you see where I’m going with this). Enjoy with lettuce wraps or with chips at your next BBQ and it’s sure to be a hit. No one needs to know how easy it is !

What You Need:

1 lb white fish, shrimp or scallops ¼” dice (I used ca halibut, sea bass & scallops)
Juice of 12 limes (or about 1 ½ cups bottled lime or lemon juice)
1 medium mango, ¼“dice (about 1 cup)
½ medium red onion, ¼“dice (about 1 cup)
1 large or 2 small avocados, ¼“dice
1 small bunch cilantro, minced (about ½ - ¾ cups)
1 - 2 serrano or jalapeno peppers, minced (removed seeds if you’re a spice wimp)
Kosher salt to taste (optional)

What To Do:

Combine lime juice and fish in a Ziploc bag. ‘Cook’ the fish in the refrigerator for 3 hours or until cooked through. Drain most of the juice and keep cool.

While the fish ‘cooks’, chop up all your veggies and fruit and set aside.



Once fish is done, combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve with lettuce (for lettuce wraps) and chips.







Print this recipe. (<--- click here to print!)

**Edited to add: Makes 12 - 1/3c servings

Nutritional Stats for 1 Serving

















Bon Appétit!
Mary



My Brother's Pesto Pasta Salad

My little brother David has been making this simple, flavorful salad for years and it’s just so tasty, it’s time to share it with all of you. With just six ingredients, you can make it too. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can make your own pesto sauce, but to stay true to my brother’s recipe (and because I’m still recovering from my injury) I will make it just like he does with the prepared pesto. I cook the pasta in chicken broth for extra flavor, but you could use either well salted water or vegetable broth to keep this recipe vegetarian. When you’re slicing your onion, I suggest making the pieces no longer than the pasta you choose so it makes it easier for your guests to eat. The best part about this recipe is that your measurements don’t have to be exact, just make it to taste. My brother says you can make it a day ahead… just leave out the almonds and cheese until you’re ready to serve it. Take this salad to any summer BBQ and it’s sure to be a big hit. There won’t be any leftovers! This recipe is for a crowd, so feel free to half it for a more manageable portion if you’re not taking it to a party.

What You Need:

1 – 14.5 oz box short pasta (I used penne – Barilla Pasta Plus)
1 – 7oz container pesto (my brother uses Buitoni or Costco’s)
4 oz crumbled goat cheese (or feta if you prefer)
½ cup slivered or sliced almonds (toasted or raw)
½ cup julienne sliced sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, lightly drained
¾ cup or about ½ medium red onion, sliced into small peices (optional or to taste)

What To Do:

Prepare pasta according to packages instructions in salted water or broth.









If you’re going to be eating the salad the same day, combine all ingredients and allow to chill in the fridge until ready to serve. If you’re making this a day ahead, combine all ingredients except cheese and almonds. Refrigerate until ready to serve, mixing in remaining ingredients just before you eat.

Serves 8-10

1 cup is about 289 cal, 13g fat, 3.5g fiber, 10.5g protein, 6g cholesterol

Print recipe. (<--click here to print!)



Bon Appetit!
Mary

Sausage, Spinach & Brown Rice Casserole with Fresh Mozzarella

After creating Black Bean & Sweet Potato Casserole with Chicken & Quinoa I had had casseroles on the brain for days. I really wanted to come up with something that had Italian flavors this time, so I planned ahead and made a batch of my sauce the day before so I’d have some homemade sauce on hand. If you don’t have any leftover sauce available, not to worry, just use your favorite bottled sauce. I recommend selecting a roasted garlic variety to really enhance the flavor of your casserole. Think of it this way… If you wouldn’t heat it up and eat it over plain pasta, don’t use it ! I use the same method with the cottage cheese here as my previous casserole recipe, except this time I puree it with fresh basil and oregano to stick with my Italian theme. By pureeing the cottage cheese you create a smooth silky texture like that of melted, grated cheese. This is good for both your waistline and your arteries. While we’re on the topic of the cottage cheese mixture, if you don’t have fresh herbs, you could always use dried, just see my proportion suggestion below in ‘what you need’. This casserole freezes well and can be stored for up to 2-3 months. I like mine served with a little hot sauce and fresh torn basil.

What You Need:

¾ lb fully cooked sausage, sliced (I used roasted pepper & onion chicken sausage)
2 cups spaghetti sauce (I used this sauce )
1 ½ cups cooked brown rice (I eyeballed this, could have been close to 1 ¾ cups)
1 medium red onion, diced
1 – 16 oz bag frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed of its water
1 cup low fat cottage cheese, preferably low sodium
½ tomato, thinly sliced
4 oz fresh mozzarella (ovolini – egg size), drained and thinly sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh basil, divided and torn or roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
1 Tbs fresh oregano, roughly chopped (or ½ tsp dried)
3-5 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)
2 tsp olive oil
¼ - ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, plus 2 pinches
2 pinches salt (about 1/8 tsp)

What To Do:

Preheat oven to 350*.

Next, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat with 2 tsp oil. Once hot, add the sliced sausage and sauté for 6-8 minutes or until deeply browned on both sides. Remove sausage from pan and set aside.

Add the onion to the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Sauté for 10-12 minutes, adding the garlic during the last minute of cooking. Season the mixture with 2 pinches of salt and pepper.

While the onion does its thing, puree the cottage cheese with ¼ - ½ tsp black pepper (to taste), oregano and half of the basil (roughly chopped) until smooth in your small food processor or blender.

Combine browned sausage, sautéed onion, brown rice, the cottage cheese mixture, spinach and egg in a large bowl. Stir gently to combine.

Spoon casserole into a large baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray and top with sliced mozzarella and tomato, alternating.

Cover and bake for 35-45 minutes with a foil lid loosely secured. You’ll know it’s time to take the lid of when small bubbles have formed at the sides of the baking dish.

Bake for an additional 15-18 minutes with the cover off or until golden brown at the edges. Serve with reserved basil, torn.



Serves 6



Bon Appétit!
Mary



The Recipe for my Whole Wheat Pesto Chicken Pizza

I’ve had a couple of you ask me for the recipe for the Pesto Chicken Pizza, so I figured I’d quickly jot down what went into it. Nothing was measured, so I’ll do my best to remember about how much I used. If you feel like you want more cheese, chicken or veggies.. Go for it! If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby, you can buy a ball of dough from most grocery stores and you can substitute your favorite salt free seasoning blend (e.g. Mrs Dash) for the 21 Seasoning Salute. It’s hard to make a bad choice here. I have a pizza stone from World Market and highly recommend using this to achieve that extra crispy crust you get from delivery pizza. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can make this recipe on a regular baking sheet and it should work just fine, it just won’t be quite as crispy as if you had made it on a pizza stone. Serve with a green salad and an ice cold beer!

What You Need:

¼ lb chicken cut into 1” cubes cooked in 1 tsp oil, seasoned with 1 ½ tsp Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute
1 ball whole wheat pizza dough
½ - 1 cup of your favorite pizza or spaghetti sauce (depends how saucy you like it)
¼ cup prepared or homemade pesto sauce
½ - 1 cup shredded cheese of your choice (I used this garlic infused jack cheese)
¼ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (optional)
1/3 cup red or green bell pepper, ¼” dice
1/3 cup red onion, ¼” dice
2 large cremini or button mushroom, very thinly sliced
6 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
Cornmeal to prevent the dough from sticking to your baking sheet or pizza stone
Flour for rolling the dough

What To Do:

Heat oven to 425* and take pizza dough out of the fridge and let it sit for 20 minutes while the oven heats up. If you try and use it right out of the fridge, you’ll have a really tough time getting it to roll out properly.

Once the oven is hot, throw your pizza stone in and let it heat for 15 minutes (if using). While the pizza stone is heating, roll out the dough on a well floured surface to your desired thickness. We like it thin.

Remove pizza stone from the oven and dust with cornmeal until there is an even coating.

Carefully place pizza dough onto your pizza stone or baking sheet and pierce many times with a fork to prevent air pockets from forming. Bake the pizza crust for about 8-10 minutes or until it becomes a golden brown. This is how you get that crispy crust!

After the crust has prebaked, top with sauce, garlic jack cheese and then all of the vegetables and chicken. Spoon the pesto sauce onto the pizza, distributing it evenly in blobs. Top with parmesan cheese (if using) and bake for 12-16 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.


Allow the pizza to cool for a few minutes before slicing.



Serves 4 (4 small or 2 large slices each)



Bon Appétit!
Mary

Soba Noodle Pasta Toss with Edamame and Tomato

Don’t hate me, but it was about 76* and sunny today and I had to break out this oldie but goodie that I didn’t get to post about during the summer because all I am craving tonight is chilled salad. The day I created this recipe was an absolute scorcher! The hottest day of the year thus far… Coming in at an almost record high of 108* today. Cooking something hot was the last thing on my mind and I wanted something heartier than a salad. I dug around in the back of my pantry among the ‘I’m open, use me’ pastas and found some buck wheat soba noodles. I instantly knew that I was going to want this salad to have Asian flavors and some serious heat. What can I say…? I am a glutton for punishment. Although I used soba noodles here, whole wheat pasta (or whatever pasta or grain you like) would work well here. Same goes for the tomato. If you have plum, beefsteak, cherry, roma tomatoes, use those. This chilled vegan salad is packed with heaps of protein, antioxidants and fiber all while not heating up your already hot kitchen. What’s your go to meal when you don’t feel like something hot for dinner ?

What You Need:

3 servings – 6 oz soba noodles, cooked in vegetable broth according to package and drained
1 ½ cups cooked and shelled edamame
1 cup cooked red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (any bean would work here)
1 cup on the vine tomato (2 small), chopped
1/3 cup red onion (1/3 med onion), thinly sliced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped



Wisk Together for the dressing:
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey (or to taste)
Juice and zest of ½ lime
1 tsp sriracha hot sauce (or to taste)
¼ - ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss. Serve at room temperature or chilled.



Serves 3 as an entrée or 6 – 1 cup servings



Bon Appétit!
Mary

Mary's El Pollo Bowl

This dish can be prepared mostly ahead of time, or can be prepped quickly while the chicken tenders bake. Great for a casual meal at home with friends and family, you could easily make this for four people or for eight… All you would have to do is chop up a few extra veggies and throw a few more pieces of chicken in the oven. This meal would also be great served taco bar style by setting out the fixin’s for your guests to make their own bowls. If you want to lighten this recipe up a bit, serve over chopped romaine instead of rice. Serve with hot sauce.

What You Need:

1 lb chicken tenders, rinsed and dried
4 servings warm, cooked brown rice
1 – 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and heated
1 small bunch cilantro, rinsed and chopped
1 large avocado, chopped (toss in lime juice if prepping ahead of time to keep from browning)
1 large tomato, finely chopped
½ medium red onion, finely chopped
¾ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
¾ cup low fat Greek yogurt
Juice of one lime
1 Tbs olive oil
Hot sauce to taste



Seasoning Blend for Chicken:
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp chili powder

What To Do:

Heat the oven to 375*. While the oven heats, line a baking sheet with foil. Toss chicken with oil and seasoning blend. Once chicken is coated, space evenly on baking sheet.

Bake chicken for about 12 minutes or until no longer pink. Allow meat to cool slightly and chop into bite sized pieces.



Divide all ingredients among four bowls and serve with hot sauce.









Serves 4



Bon Appétit!
Mary

Simple Tomato Salad

Last night I was making dinner and knew I wanted to come up with a quick and easy salad to go with it. I opened my crisper and realized that I had no lettuce. Shoot! What’s a gal to do? I dug deep into the drawer and found a couple of tomatoes, half a red onion and an English cucumber… and a light bulb went off in my head. A lettuce-less salad was in order! The key to this recipe is making all of the vegetables the same size and in equal amounts. Seems simple enough, right? Right. I happened to have heirloom tomatoes, but any kind would have worked. I’m actually eating the leftovers of this salad right now and it tastes even better today than it did last night. What’s your favorite simple salad ?

What You Need:

3/4 English cucumber, cut into bite sized pieces
2 large tomatoes, cut into bit sized pieces
½ red onion, cut into bite sized pieces
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs aged balsamic vinegar (regular balsamic would work fine here)
1 tsp agave or honey (to taste)
¼ tsp kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
Red pepper flakes to taste



What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.




Makes 5 – 1 cup servings


Bon Appétit!
Mary

Roasted Vegetable Salad

I have to admit, my favorite way to eat vegetables these days are roasted in the oven, but the heat of summer normally keeps me from making this salad this time of year. I was wondering around the produce section of market this oddly cool July morning and saw the fresh dill and chives and knew I wanted to make a roasted vegetable salad that could be served at room temperature with a punch of lemon. Making this salad a day ahead will ensure that all the flavors have time to marry. Garnish with more fresh dill and toss with thinly sliced romaine lettuce and enjoy!

What You Need:

1 small eggplant, cut into bite sized pieces
1 medium red onion, cut into bite sized pieces
1 large sweet potato, cut into bite sized pieces
12 cremini mushrooms, stems removed
11 brussels sprouts, halved
1 small head garlic, cloves separated, but not peeled
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 Tbs
Zest of one lemon
2 ½ Tbs fresh chives, minced
1 ½ Tbs fresh dill, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper



What To Do:

Preheat the oven to 425*. Toss vegetables in 2 Tbs olive oil, salt and pepper.

Roast for 25-35 minutes, stirring the vegetables half way through the cooking process. The veggies will be deeply browned, but not burned. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.  Remove peel from cloves of garlic.

While the vegetables cook, combine 1/8 cup olive oil and lemon zest in a small bowl.  Set aside and allow flavors to meld while the vegetables cook.

Combine herbs and lemon oil in a large bowl and toss gently. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 4 as an Entrée



Bon Appétit!
Mary

Mary’s Lemony Tuna Salad

My tuna salad is (you guessed it) light and lemony. Why lemon you ask? Because I am not a fan of ‘fishy’ fish and canned tuna is just that. In order to make this salad sing, I add both lemon zest and juice to brighten the flavor. You can easily make this into a more robust meal by mixing it with a couple servings of cooked whole wheat pasta. You could also serve on toasted whole wheat bread with lettuce and tomato or on crackers.

What You Need:

1 – 7 oz can tuna, drained

¼ cup red onion, small dice
1 small carrot, small dice

¼ tsp garlic powder

1 Tbs mayonnaise

Juice and zest of ½ a lemon

Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Serve on toasted bread or crackers.

Serves 2

Bon Appétit!

Mary