Recipes

Tuna Burgers with Carrot Ginger Sauce

Ingredients
For the Sauce:
1 small carrot, roughly chopped
1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
Pinch of sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
For the Burgers:
1 pound sushi-grade tuna
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup spicy sprouts, for garnish
4 whole-grain hamburger buns
1/2 avocado, sliced
Directions
Prepare the sauce: Pulse the carrot and ginger in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar and process until smooth. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons water and combine; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside.
Prepare the burgers: Chop the tuna into chunks. Wipe out the food processor and add the tuna; pulse a few times to break up the pieces. In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons olive oil, the soy sauce, lime juice, cilantro and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Pour over the tuna and process until well blended. Form into 4 patties; brush each lightly with the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil.
Preheat a grill or grill pan. Once hot, add the burgers and cook for 2 minutes on each side for rare, or to desired doneness.
Toss the sprouts in the carrot-ginger sauce. Place the burgers on buns and top with avocado and sprouts.
Per serving: Calories 435; Fat 22 g (Sat. 3.8 g; Mono. 11 g; Poly. 6 g); Cholesterol 43 mg; Sodium 662 mg; Carbohydrate 28 g; Fiber 5 g; Protein 32 g

Grilled Steak & Papaya Salad

Ingredients
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Thai bird chile, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 to 3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Papaya Dressing, recipe follows
Directions
Place garlic, chile, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, and oil in a mini food processor and process until smooth. Place beef in a small baking dish, pour the marinade over, and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Preheat the grill to medium-high. Remove the beef from the marinade and season it with salt and pepper. Grill meat until charred and cooked to medium-rare doneness, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from grill and let rest 10 minutes before slicing into 1/4-inch thick slices.
Papaya Dressing:
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 Thai bird chiles, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
8 large red romaine lettuce leaves, cut into strips
1 bunch watercress
1 large green papaya, peeled and thinly shredded
2 carrots, peeled and thinly shredded
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish
Chopped cilantro, for garnish
In a small bowl, whisk together the shallot, chiles, mint, vinegar, sugar, and fish sauce. Set aside. In another bowl, toss the lettuce leaves and watercress together and then arrange the mixture on a platter.
Combine the papaya and carrots in a medium bowl. Evenly distribute the papaya mixture over the lettuce. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the dressing. Arrange the steak on top and drizzle steak with some more dressing. Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro.


10 Minute Fish and Vegetable Dinner


Roasted Chicken With Herb Oil

Ingredients,
1 T rosemary, chopped
1/3 t black pepper
1 t kosher or sea salt
1 T butter, softened
1 T olive oil
1 lemon, cut into quarters
1 3 pound chicken

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wash chicken with cold water. Pat dry. Remove wishbone from chicken. Gently lift up chicken skin from the breast and rub oil and butter mixture between the flesh and skin.
Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Place chicken in roasting pan on a roasting rack or bed of vegetables. Place lemon inside the cavity of the chicken. Tie legs together with cotton string.
Roast chicken 20 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Roast chicken until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of inner thigh registers 180 -185 degrees Fahrenheit, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Lift chicken and tilt slightly, emptying juices from cavity into pan. Juices should be clear. Transfer chicken to cutting board.
Cover chicken with aluminum foil to keep warm and wait 10 minutes before carving.
NOTE: Save about 125 calories and 11 g fat per serving by removing the skin.
Number of Servings: 4
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CHEF_MEG.



Baby Spinach Salad with Strawberries & Toasted Almonds

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Ingredients
1/3 c almonds, slivered
4 c baby spinach
3/4 c strawberries, quartered
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 t Dijon mustard
1 t honey
3 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Place the almonds in a dry skillet or saute pan. Cook over low heat, shaking the pan the entire time until the almonds are toasting. Almonds are done when you start to smell a "nutty" scent.
Remove almonds from the pan to cool. (Do not cool in the skillet because they will burn from the heat that remains in the pan.) Wash and dry the spinach.
Prepare the dressing by placing the vinegar, mustard, and honey in a mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until all is incorporated. Place spinach in a large bowl. Add strawberries, almonds, and dressing. Toss to coat. If desired, season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Number of Servings: 4
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CHEF_MEG.


Chef Meg's Spring Rolls

This recipe is really easy; it's really more of a process than a recipe. Rice paper wrappers, which are available in the ethnic sections of most larger supermarkets these days, are a great way to wrap your veggies and protein for a quick snack or light lunch.
Use whatever vegetables and protein you have on hand; feel free to improvise! The only tricky part is learning how to handle the rice paper; after that, it's a cinch!
INGREDIENTS 3 sheets of rice paper
Basil Sauce 1 T fat-free mayonnaise 1 T prepared pesto 1/2 t Dijon mustard
Thai Sauce 1 T fat-free mayonnaise 1 T Thai sauce
Filling 1 c carrots, shredded 1 c broccoli slaw or chopped broccoli 2 bell peppers, sliced 1 c mushrooms, sliced
Protein: select one, (nutritional info is based on chicken) 6 oz chicken breast, sliced 6 oz turkey, sliced 6 oz cheese (mozzarella or string)
DIRECTIONS Make the sauce of your choice by combining the ingredients in a small bowl. (If you prefer one sauce to the other, just double that recipe.)
Place the rice papers one at a time in a flat dish filled with hot water. Immerse for 5 seconds. Remove from the water and lay flat on a clean kitchen towel. Spread desired sauce on the rice paper then fill with 1/3 of the vegetables and meat or cheese. Fold in sides of the paper to form a seal, then roll from the bottom of the circle away from you to form an egg roll shape. Repeat until all three rice papers have been filled. Slice each roll in half and serve! Makes 6 rolls.
Number of Servings: 6
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CHEF_MEG.
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving: Calories: 110.2 Total Fat: 3.9g Total Carbs:9.7g Dietary Fiber:2mg Protein:9.1g


Black Bean "Hummus"

This dip doesn't have many of the same ingredients as hummus, but it is about the same consistency. I spread this on bread or tortillas with vegetables for a quick sandwich, I dip carrots and celery into it, and I eat it with tortilla chips for a snack.

INGREDIENTS
2 cans black beans (about 3 1/2 cups)
1 small onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T ground cumin
1 1/2 t olive oil
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 c vegetable broth

DIRECTIONS
Drain and rinse black beans if using canned. Place olive oil in skillet set over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers, and garlic and saute about three minutes, until vegetables are fragrant and starting to brown slightly. Add cumin, stir well, reduce heat to medium and cook another two minutes. Place beans in food processor and pulse seveal times. Add vegetable mixture and pulse a few more times. Add vegetable broth in small batches to thin the dip to the desired consistency. Garlish with chopped cilantro. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Makes eight 1/2-cup servings!

Number of Servings: 8