Category: Main Dishes


Mar
2019

Black Bean Burgers

categories: For The BBQ Grill, Main Dishes, Meatless Meals
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Looking for a recipe for fantastic tasting black bean burgers, that vegetarians and meat lovers both will LOVE? Look no further – here it is!
Looking for a recipe for fantastic tasting black bean burgers, that vegetarians and meat lovers both will LOVE? Look no further - here it is!

I recently saw a recipe for the BEST black bean burgers ever on Pinterest. Being curious, I KNEW I just HAD TO TRY THEM!

So I pinned the recipe, made them, and the rest is history. Oh yeah… they truly just might be the BEST black bean burgers ever. Amen!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

What’s The Story Behind These Black Bean Burgers?

One of our grown sons is now a vegetarian. He used to be our STEAK eating guy… sigh. He is now a grown man who happens to be vegetarian.

What’s a meat-lovin’ mom supposed to do when he and his girlfriend (also a vegetarian) come over for a burger BBQ?

Well, up to this point, I would just buy those thin little veggie or vegetarian black bean burgers in the frozen section at the grocery store! That way I could offer them a vegetarian burger to eat, along with all of our traditional BBQ sides.

No longer! THIS will now be my new “go to” recipe for veggie burgers, because they’re delicious!

What Makes THESE Black Bean Burgers So “Special”?

These black bean burgers are special, I believe, in part due to one little bitty step that is taken before making the patties, that ensures the burgers will be firm and not MUSHY! 

What is this little bitty step, you ask? Popping the rinsed beans into the oven for a few minutes, which helps to partially dry out the canned beans. Yep, you heard that right! Brilliant tip!

The Secret To Making Nice, Firm, Black Bean Burgers

Preheat your oven to 325° F. Rinse, and then drain two cans of black beans in a colander. Pour the drained beans onto a couple layers of paper towels, and pat them dry.

Spread the beans out onto a parchment paper-lined large baking sheet. Bake the beans for 15 minutes, which will help to slightly dry them out. Trust me on this – don’t skip this step! This one little step will help those burger patties to really hold firmly together, and not break down into MUSH!!

Once done, remove the beans from the oven, and set aside.

Canned black beans are drained, blotted dry, then baked, to make black bean burgers.

While the beans are baking, place olive oil, chopped bell peppers, onion, and minced garlic in a skillet. Cook this mixture on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes, until the veggies have softened.

Once cooked, pat the veggies gently with a paper towel, to help absorb a bit of their moisture.

Onion, green peppers, and garlic is cooked in oil to add to black bean burgers mix.

Prepare The Patties For Black Bean Burgers

Place the cooked veggies into a large mixing bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients, except for the black beans. Give this mixture a good stir to fully combine the ingredients.

Eggs, feta cheese, bread crumbs, ketchup and spices added to black bean burgers mix.

Now add the baked black beans to the bowl. Use a potato masher or a fork to really “mash” this patty mixture together, making sure to leave some of the black beans intact.

NOTE: This step can also be done in a food processor. PULSE the ingredients, but do not fully blend.

The baked black beans are added to the black bean burgers mixture, and mashed to combine.

Form The Patties

For each patty, use 1/3 cup of bean mixture. Scoop out 1/3 cup, then transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

This recipe makes 6 thick black bean burgers. After placing all 6 scoopfuls on the paper, flatten them down and round out, using your hands.

Black bean burgers mix is portioned out into 6 (1/3 cup) patties, then flattened.

Cook The Black Bean Burgers

There are TWO ways to cook these burgers. 1) Bake at 375° F., and cook for 10 minutes on each side, OR 2) Lay the patties onto aluminum foil (on your BBQ grill), and grill each side for 8 minutes.

I chose to BAKE the black bean burgers. The photo below shows what the patties look like up close and personal before baking.  You can see there are some whole black beans in each one.

One of the black bean burgers, up close, before baking.

After the black bean burgers have cooked for 10 minutes on each side, they are done!  They hold together VERY well, and are nice and thick, firm burgers!

Six black bean burgers on parchment paper, after baking.

Black Bean Burgers Can Be Frozen, Too!

IMPORTANT NOTE: These burgers freeze well, too! Six burgers was way too many for just my hubby and I to eat, so I was able to freeze a few after cooking! You can also freeze the raw patties this way, also.

Once the burgers have cooled, stack the patties between sheets of parchment paper and place in freezer bags or freezer container. Perfect for future use (just thaw and reheat)!

The black bean burgers can be frozen between sheets of parchment paper in a freeze bag.

All that is left to do… is EAT one of these delicious, thick, black bean burgers!  The burgers were served on a toasted bun, with tomato slices, crisp lettuce, red onion slices and some homemade guacamole (as a condiment)!

That’s it!  Oh my goodness, such great flavor… this burger was soooo good! The guacamole was a perfect substitute for mayo, mustard or ketchup…never even missed them!

One of the black bean burgers, served on bun with tomato, red onion, lettuce and guacamole!

Believe me when I tell you… these black bean burgers taste fantastic! Hope you will consider trying them, too! This is a perfect dish for “Meatless Mondays” or any other day, for that matter!

If you’re looking for another “healthy” delicious burger recipe, be sure to check out my Turkey, Feta and Spinach Burgers! Have a GREAT day!

Looking for More SANDWICH Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some delicious sandwich recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original Recipe Source: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/best-black-bean-burgers/

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Black Bean Burgers
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
Looking for a recipe for fantastic tasting black bean burgers, that vegetarians and meat lovers both will LOVE? Look no further - here it is!
Category: Meatless Entree
Cuisine: American
Keyword: black bean burgers
Servings: 6 burgers
Calories Per Serving: 264 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 28 ounces canned black beans (two 14 oz. cans) , drained/rinsed/patted dry
  • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 cup green bell pepper , finely chopped
  • 1 cup yellow onion , finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic cloves (approx. 3 cloves)
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese , crumbled
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons ketchup or BBQ sauce
  • 1 pinch (each) salt and pepper
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Rinse, and drain black beans. Blot the beans dry on paper towels. Spread beans out onto parchment paper-lined large baking sheet. Bake the beans for 15 minutes, to slightly dry them out. Don't skip this step! Once done, remove beans from oven, and set aside. NOTE: If you will be baking the burger patties, turn oven up to 375° once you remove the beans from oven.

  2. While beans bake, place olive oil, chopped bell peppers, onion, and minced garlic in a skillet. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes, until veggies have softened. Once cooked, pat the veggies gently with a paper towel, to absorb a bit of their moisture. 

  3. Place cooked veggies into a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients, except for the black beans. Stir to combine. Add the black beans. Use a potato masher or fork to "mash" this together, making sure to leave some black beans intact. NOTE: This step can also be done in a food processor. PULSE the ingredients, but do not fully blend.

  4. For each patty, use 1/3 cup of bean mixture. Scoop out 1/3 cup, then transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheet. After placing 6 scoopfuls on the paper, flatten them down and round out into thick patties, using your hands.

  5. There are TWO ways to cook these burgers. 1) Bake at 375° F., and cook for 10 minutes on each side, OR 2) Place the patties onto aluminum foil (on your BBQ grill), and grill each side for 8 minutes. After the black bean burgers have baked for 10 minutes on each side (or grilled for 8 on each side), they are done! Prepare burgers with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: The caloric calculation is for one black bean burger patty only. Any additions (bun, condiments, etc.) will need to be calculated separately, as they will differ for each person.

Nutrition Facts
Black Bean Burgers
Amount Per Serving (1 burger patty)
Calories 264 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 81mg27%
Sodium 886mg39%
Potassium 584mg17%
Carbohydrates 35g12%
Fiber 10g42%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 390IU8%
Vitamin C 21.5mg26%
Calcium 153mg15%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Looking for a recipe for fantastic tasting black bean burgers, that vegetarians and meat lovers both will LOVE? Look no further - here it is!


Mar
2019

Baked Asian Chicken Wings

categories: Appetizers, Chicken, Main Dishes
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Baked Asian Chicken Wings are seasoned with spice rub, baked, then glazed with a sticky soy/Sriracha/sesame sauce before serving as an appetizer or main dish!Baked Asian Chicken Wings are seasoned with spice rub, baked, then glazed with a sticky soy/Sriracha/sesame sauce before serving!

Okay… seriously… these baked Asian chicken wings are wonderful! They have GREAT flavor, thanks to the spices used AND the delicious Asian-inspired sauce they are coated in. YUM!

I have loved traditional hot buffalo wings for a long time, but I’m telling you… sticky Asian wings are a force to be reckoned with! Chicken wings are seasoned, baked, then broiled for crispness, then coated in a yummy sauce, and served.  Believe it or not, baked Asian chicken wings are also very easy to make.  Here’s how to make these lip-smackin’ appetizers:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make Spice Rub For The Baked Asian Chicken Wings

Mix the ingredients for the spice rub together in a small bowl. The ingredients in the spice rub are ground ginger, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Set aside. See? Not too hard at all!

Spices are mixed to apply to chicken wings, before baking.

Prepare The Wings For Baking

Lay the chicken wing pieces on several layers of paper towel, and pat them dry. Place the dried chicken wings into a large mixing bowl (or freezer bag), and sprinkle with the dry spice rub. If you are doubling the recipe, make sure to do this step in two batches.

Toss the chicken several times until all the wings have been evenly coated on all sides with the spices.

Chicken wings are patted dry, then coated with dry rub spices before baking.

Cover a baking sheet with foil, and spray with a non-stick baking spray. Lay the seasoned chicken wings out on the foil, in a single layer, with a bit of space between each one.

Baked Asian Chicken Wings are then cooked (on the middle rack) in a preheated 400° F. oven. Bake the wings for 45-50 minutes, until they are nice and golden brown.

Baked Asian chicken wings are ready for the oven.

Prepare Sauce For The Baked Asian Chicken Wings

While the chicken wings are cooking, prepare the Asian-inspired sauce that will cover the wings, once they are done.

Whisk together soy sauce, dry sherry (or Japanese sweet rice wine/mirin), water, sesame seed oil, grated ginger, Sriracha sauce, minced garlic cloves, salt, pepper and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set the sauce aside, while you make a simple syrup.

Sauce is mixed to put on baked Asian chicken wings, after they finish cooking.

Make Simple Syrup For The Sauce

A few minutes before the wings are done, you will need to make a sticky simple syrup that will be added to the Asian sauce.  To do this, place water and sugar in a large skillet. Stir to combine.

Bring this mixture to a boil on medium heat, and once boiling, let it cook for one minute, stirring often. IMPORTANT: Make sure to only cook it for ONE minute, otherwise it might harden up!

Finishing The Asian Sauce

Once the syrup has cooked for one minute, immediately add the reserved Asian sauce into the skillet. Stir to combine, and cook this sauce on low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until it has thickened.

Sticky syrup is cooked, then Asian sauce is added to skillet for chicken wings sauce.

Broil Wings After Baking, To Desired Crispness

As soon as the baked Asian chicken wings are done baking, turn on the broiler element for the oven. Move the chicken wings on the baking sheet up in oven until they are about 6-8 inches from the broiler.

Let the wings broil until they become crispy, but make sure to keep your eye on them so they won’t burn.  Turn the wings over and crisp up the other side under the broiler, then remove from oven. This step will only take a few minutes total! Remove from oven once done.

Prepare Baked Asian Chicken Wings For Serving

Place the baked and broiled chicken wings into a large bowl. Pour the warm Asian sauce over the top, then toss gently, to fully coat the wings with the sauce.

The photo on the left (below) is how the chicken looked after broiling. The pic on the right (below) is how the baked Asian chicken wings looked, once the yummy sauce had been added to coat them!

The wings come out of oven and are tossed in sauce to become Baked Asian Chicken Wings.

Now all that is left to do is to serve the wings!  Place the baked Asian chicken wings onto a serving platter, and sprinkle lightly with sesame seeds. You can also add some fresh cilantro (optional) if you want, for extra color!

The baked Asian chicken wings are served, garnished with sesame seeds.

That’s it! This recipe, as written below, will make a dozen YUMMY baked Asian chicken wings, but can be easily doubled!  We enjoyed these wings while watching the super bowl, along with a delicious batch of Buffalo Honey Hot Wings!

A green plate, with baked Asian chicken wings, is ready to serve and eat!

Hope you have an opportunity to make these delicious appetizers for a family get together, a party, or just a “lay on the couch in sweat pants and watch sports all afternoon” day. I really think you will enjoy these wings… they taste wonderful!

Looking For More APPETIZER Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorites include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe Adapted From: http://carlsbadcravings.com/recipe/baked-sticky-general-tsos-chicken-wings/

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Baked Asian Chicken Wings
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 
Baked Asian Chicken Wings are seasoned with spice rub, baked, then glazed with a sticky soy/Sriracha/sesame sauce before serving as an appetizer or main dish!
Category: Appetizers, Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: baked Asian chicken wings
Servings: 24 wings
Calories Per Serving: 136 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 24 chicken wings , skin on, rinsed and patted dry
  • Sesame seeds, to garnish when serving wings
For Spice Rub:
  • 2 Tablespoons baking powder
  • 2 Tablespoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon (EACH) salt, garlic powder and onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For Asian Sauce:
  • 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup dry sherry
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 Tablespoon sesame seed oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (or Asian hot chili sauce) , can double amt. if you like the heat
  • 1½ Tablespoons ginger, freshly grated
  • 3 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • black pepper (a pinch)
  • 1 Tablespoon corn starch
For Sticky Simple Syrup
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons water
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Mix ingredients for spice rub in a small bowl, then set aside.

  2. Lay chicken wings on several layers of paper towels; pat them dry. Place wings into a large mixing bowl (or freezer bag), and sprinkle with spice rub. If you are doubling the recipe, make sure to do this step in two batches. Toss the chicken several times until all wings have been evenly coated on all sides.

  3. Cover a baking sheet with foil; spray with non-stick baking spray. Lay seasoned wings out on the foil, in a single layer, with space between each one. Bake at 400° F. on the middle rack in oven for 45-50 minutes, until nice and golden brown.

  4. While wings are cooking, prepare the Asian sauce that will cover the wings, once done. Whisk together soy sauce, dry sherry, water, sesame seed oil, grated ginger, Sriracha sauce, minced garlic cloves, salt, pepper and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set the sauce aside, while you make a simple syrup.

  5. A few minutes before wings are done, make a sticky simple syrup that will be added to the Asian sauce.  To do this, place water and sugar in a large skillet. Stir to combine. Bring this to a boil on medium heat; once boiling, let it cook for one minute, stirring often. IMPORTANT: Make sure to only cook it for ONE minute, otherwise it might harden up! Once it has cooked for one minute, immediately add the reserved Asian sauce. Stir to combine, and cook on low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until it has thickened.

  6. As soon as the wings are done baking, turn on the broiler element for the oven. Move the chicken wings on the baking sheet up in oven until they are about 6-8 inches away from the broiler. Let the wings broil until they become crispy, but  keep your eye on them so they don't burn.  Turn the wings over and crisp up the other side under the broiler. This step will only take a few minutes total! Remove from oven, once done. 

  7. Place hot chicken wings into a large bowl. Pour warm Asian sauce over the top, then toss gently to fully coat the wings with sauce. Transfer wings onto a serving platter, and sprinkle lightly with sesame seeds. You can also add some fresh cilantro (optional) if you want, for extra color! Serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Baked Asian Chicken Wings
Amount Per Serving (1 wing)
Calories 136 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 37mg12%
Sodium 260mg11%
Potassium 100mg3%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 9g18%
Vitamin A 80IU2%
Vitamin C 0.6mg1%
Calcium 11mg1%
Iron 0.6mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Baked Asian Chicken Wings are seasoned with spice rub, baked, then glazed with a sticky soy/Sriracha/sesame sauce before serving as an appetizer or main dish!


Mar
2019

Broiled Salmon with Pineapple Salsa

categories: Main Dishes, Seafood
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Broiled Salmon with Pineapple Salsa features spice rubbed salmon fillets, glazed with honey and brown sugar, topped with a simple fruit salsa.
Broiled Salmon with Pineapple Salsa features spice rubbed salmon fillets, glazed with honey and brown sugar, topped with a simple fruit salsa.

It was a cold, rainy day recently… the kind you do NOT want to go outside in. I had laid out some salmon to fix for our dinner, and wanted to try a new recipe I had come upon in my cookbook collection. The recipe is from the editors at American’s Test Kitchen, so I knew it would be good.

We LOVE salmon, so I am always on the lookout for new ways to cook this healthy, delicious fish! This “tropical-sounding” salmon recipe with pineapple salsa was a perfect meal for this COLD rainy day, to help us dream of warm summer days! This is a perfect “Dinner For Two!”

Normally I pan-sear, bake or grill our salmon when we eat it. This “new to us” recipe called for BROILING the salmon. Hmmm… that sounded interesting, so into the kitchen I went, and this Broiled Salmon with Pineapple Salsa is the result. Oh my goodness… this broiled salmon dish is so quick and easy to make… and tastes so good! The cleanup was a breeze, too! We enjoyed this dish so much I want to share the recipe with you today. Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make Pineapple Salsa For The Broiled Salmon

The pineapple salsa for the broiled salmon couldn’t be any easier to make! Mix the pineapple pieces, sliced green onion, minced jalapeño, lime juice and cilantro together, in a medium bowl. Fresh pineapple is recommended, but you can CERTAINLY use canned just as easily!

Lightly season the salsa with a little salt and pepper (to taste), then set aside until the broiled salmon is ready to serve. That’s it – your pineapple salsa is done! See how EASY that was?

Pineapple salsa is mixed together to top broiled salmon.
Make The Spice Rub For The Broiled Salmon

The next thing to make is the spice rub which will season the salmon fillets before cooking. Combine brown sugar, ground coriander, ground ginger, granulated garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir until blended, then set the spice mix aside.

Spice rub mixture in bowl, ready to season broiled salmon.

Prepare The Salmon Fillets

Prepare the salmon fillets for cooking by first placing them onto a layer of paper towels, and blotting them dry with additional paper towels.

Salmon fillets are blotted dry with paper towels before cooking.

Place the dried salmon fillets onto a baking sheet that has been covered with foil, and lightly sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Trust me… do this step! The foil will help the glazed broiled salmon not stick to the pan, and will make your cleanup much easier!

Stir the honey and water together until blended in a small cup. Using a pastry brush, “paint” this glaze over the top of each of the salmon fillets.

Honey and water glaze is brushed onto salmon before broiling.

Sprinkle the salmon fillets with the spice mixture, evenly dividing it between the two pieces. Use your fingers to lightly press the spices onto the salmon, so it adheres to the fish better.

The broiled salmon recipe calls for sprinkling fillets with spice mix before broiling.

The last thing you need to do right before cooking the salmon is lightly spray the top of each fillet with non-stick vegetable oil spray.

The honey glaze and the brown sugar in the spice rub will caramelize slightly while cooking, to form a type of “crust” on top. That extra bit of vegetable oil spray will also help to ensure a nice, slightly crispy “crust” on the broiled salmon!

Cook The Salmon Fillets

Place an oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler element. Preheat the broiler, then place the baking sheet with the salmon onto the rack.

Broil the salmon (keeping an eye on it), until it is nice and browned. This should take about 6-8 minutes, and the internal temperature (if tested) should be 125° F. Remove the broiled salmon from the oven, once done.

Seasoned salmon fillets are spritzed with non-stick baking spray before being broiled.

Serve The Broiled Salmon

To serve, transfer the broiled salmon to individual dinner plates. Top each salmon fillet with a generous portion of the pineapple salsa, dividing it equally between the two pieces of fish.

We had some white steamed rice, and a simple mixed green salad  with a balsamic dressing on the side for this meal. The bland white rice paired very well with the rich salmon and vibrant pineapple salsa!

Broiled salmon with pineapple salsa, served on plate with rice and green salad.

Close up photo of the pineapple salsa on top of the seasoned broiled salmon.

Sure hope you will give this broiled salmon recipe a try! It is light in calories, but big in flavor, and is really EASY to make! I really think you will enjoy this dish. Have a wonderful day!

Looking For More SALMON Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page.  I have many recipes using salmon, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original Recipe Source: My beloved cookbook titled “The Complete Cooking For Two Cookbook”, by America’s Test Kitchen, published in 2014 by the Editors at America’s Test Kitchen, pages 182-183.

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Broiled Salmon with Pineapple Salsa
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
Total Time
23 mins
 
Broiled Salmon with Pineapple Salsa features spice rubbed salmon fillets, glazed with honey and brown sugar, topped with a simple fruit salsa.
Category: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: broiled salmon
Servings: 2
Calories Per Serving: 304 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Salsa:
  • 3/4 cup pineapple pieces (1/2") , can substitute canned pineapple
  • 1 scallion (green onion) , thinly sliced
  • 1/2 medium jalapeño pepper , stemmed, seeded, minced
  • 2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro leaves , minced
  • Salt and Pepper , to taste
For Salmon:
  • vegetable oil spray
  • 2 6 oz. salmon fillets (skinless) ,
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon water
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Make salsa: Mix pineapple, green onion, jalapeño, lime juice and cilantro together, in a medium bowl. Season with salt/pepper (to taste), then set aside. 

  2. Make spice rub: Place brown sugar, ground coriander, ground ginger, granulated garlic, salt & pepper in a small bowl. Stir until blended, then set aside.

  3. Prepare salmon: Place fillets onto a layer of paper towels, and blot dry with additional paper towels. Place salmon onto a baking sheet that has been covered with foil, and lightly sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Stir honey and water together until blended in a small cup. Brush this glaze over the top of each fillet. Sprinkle salmon with the spice mixture, dividing it between the two pieces. Lightly press spices onto salmon. Lightly spray each fillet with non-stick spray.

  4. Cook Salmon: Place an oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler element. Preheat broiler, then place the baking sheet with salmon onto the rack. Broil salmon (keep an eye on it), until nice and browned. This should take about 6-8 minutes, and the internal temperature (if tested) should be 125° F. Remove  salmon from oven, once done.

  5. To Serve: Transfer salmon to plates. Top each piece with a generous portion of the pineapple salsa, dividing it equally between the two fillets. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Variation Idea: Substitute 1/2 cup of diced fresh mango for the pineapple in the recipe.

Nutrition Facts
Broiled Salmon with Pineapple Salsa
Amount Per Serving (1 serving (with salsa))
Calories 304 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 93mg31%
Sodium 222mg10%
Potassium 900mg26%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 200IU4%
Vitamin C 36.4mg44%
Calcium 28mg3%
Iron 1.5mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Broiled Salmon with Pineapple Salsa features spice rubbed salmon fillets, glazed with honey and brown sugar, topped with a simple fruit salsa.


Feb
2019

Buffalo Honey Hot Wings

categories: Appetizers, Chicken, Main Dishes
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Buffalo Honey Hot Wings are the perfect appetizer for a crowd! Yummy chicken wings are covered in a mild buffalo honey sauce, and are baked, not fried!
Buffalo Honey Hot Wings are the perfect appetizer for a crowd! Yummy chicken wings are covered in a mild buffalo honey sauce, and are baked, not fried!

I don’t know what it is about the Super Bowl, but it seems like a great time to eat yummy food, while watching grown men smash into each other and run all over artificial grass with a small little football! My husband and I don’t even watch football. Go figure! We haven’t for years and years, but this year my husband decided to watch the Super Bowl.

Naturally, this momentous occasion called for some delicious food, worthy of the occasion, so I found a great recipe to try on Pinterest! I ended up making two varieties of hot wings. This recipe for buffalo honey hot wings was one of them! Boy, were they GOOD!  The chicken wings are coated in an amazing spice mixture, baked (not fried), and then coated with a mild honey, molasses and buffalo sauce mixture, and served! YUM!

NOTE: The recipe, (as written in the printable recipe below), makes 24 hot wings.  When I made these, I cut the recipe in half (for 12 wings), since there were only two of us eating, so my photos below will reflect that!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Spice Rub For Buffalo Honey Hot Wings

While the oven is preheating to 400° F, mix together the spice rub for the chicken wings in a small bowl. Easy peasy! The spice rub adds incredible seasoning for the buffalo honey hot wings.

The spice rub consists of brown sugar, baking powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and celery seed. Set the spice mixture aside when done.Spice mix in bowl, ready to season buffalo honey hot wings.

Prepare The Chicken Wings

Cover a 9″x13″ cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Method #1: Spray the foil generously with non-stick cooking spray (the spray will help you remove the wings from pan after baking). Method #2: If you have a LARGE ovenproof wire rack, spray it generously with the non-stick spray and place it on top of the aluminum foil.

Rinse, then place the chicken wings onto paper towels, and blot them dry with additional paper towels. Once dry, place half the wings into a large bowl.

Pour half of the seasoning mixture onto the chicken wings in bowl. Mix with your hands or tongs, until the wings are covered on all sides with the spice rub. Place the coated wings onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer (either on sprayed foil or sprayed wire rack). Repeat process with remaining wings.

Chicken wings are patted dry, then seasoned, to make buffalo honey hot wings.

Bake The Hot Wings

Once all the wings are prepped, it is time to bake them!  Put the baking sheet on an upper middle rack of the oven. Bake the buffalo honey hot wings at 400° F.  for 45-50 minutes.

Once baked, turn the oven setting to BROIL, and place the baking sheet with the wings 6-8″ away from the broiler element. Broil the wings until they reach the crispness you want, then turn them over and do the same on the other side. TIP: This step will take only a couple minutes. When broiling the wings, definitely keep an eye on them, so they will not burn!

Here are the buffalo honey hot wings, hot out of the oven after baking.

Prepare The Dipping Sauce For Buffalo Honey Hot Wings

While the chicken bakes, prepare the bleu cheese dressing, if you will be serving it on the side to dip the wings in, once done! You can make homemade bleu cheese dressing, but found it quick and easy to use bottled bleu cheese dressing.

I added a couple Tablespoons of crumbled bleu cheese to the bottled dressing, for more flavor and texture! Cover and place in refrigerator until you are ready to serve it as a dipping sauce for the buffalo honey hot wings. NOTE: Don’t like bleu cheese dressing? You can substitute Ranch dressing for dipping the finished wings into, if you prefer.

Bleu cheese dressing is ready to serve with the buffalo honey hot wings.

Prepare The Buffalo Honey Hot Wings Sauce

A few minutes before the chicken wings are done baking, prepare the buffalo honey hot wings sauce. This sauce will be used to coat the baked chicken wings.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mix Frank’s ORIGINAL Hot Sauce together with cornstarch, and add this to the pan. Add the honey and molasses, and whisk ingredients together to blend.

Heat the buffalo sauce until it comes to a boil, whisking or stirring often. Once boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer. Continue to cook for 3-5 minutes, which slightly thickens the sauce, then taste test it. Want it sweeter? Add more honey. Want it spicier? Add more hot sauce.

The buffalo honey sauce for the chicken wings simmering in a saucepan.

Once finished cooking, remove the baked wings from the baking sheet and place them into a large bowl.  Pour the buffalo honey hot wings sauce over the chicken, and toss the wings (with a spoon or spatula) to coat them with the sauce.

The prepared sauce is poured over the baked buffalo honey hot wings before serving.

Serve The Buffalo Honey Hot Wings And Dig In!

Arrange the buffalo honey hot wings onto a serving platter.  We served them with the prepared bleu cheese dressing, and some celery and carrot sticks on the side!

Here's a close up of the buffalo honey hot wings on plate, with bleu cheese dressing and carrots on the side.

Buffalo honey hot wings on plate with celery sticks and bleu cheese dressing on the side.

The creamy “coolness” of the bleu cheese dressing pairs well with the sweet and slightly spicy buffalo wings. The crunchy carrots and celery sticks round out this fun appetizer, and make it look just like a platter of wings you would get at a restaurant!

A platter of buffalo honey hot wings, served with bleu cheese dressing, celery and carrots.

We truly LOVED these hot wings (they are NOT even too spicy hot!), and I KNOW I will make them again. They would be perfect to serve at any gathering of hungry friends or family! Hope you will consider trying them, too! Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More APPETIZER Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few appetizer recipes you might also enjoy include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original Recipe Source: Jen, at https://carlsbadcravings.com/buffalo-honey-hot-wings-traditional-buffalo-hot-wings-recipe/

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Buffalo Honey Hot Wings
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 
Buffalo Honey Hot Wings are the perfect appetizer for a crowd! Yummy chicken wings are covered in a mild buffalo honey sauce, and are baked, not fried!
Category: Appetizers, Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: buffalo honey hot wings
Servings: 24 chicken hot wings
Calories Per Serving: 133 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Spice Rub:
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground celery seed
For Wings:
  • 24 chicken wings, with skin (approx. 3 lbs.)
  • 2/3 cup Frank's ORIGINAL Hot Sauce (not hot wings sauce)
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 Tablespoon molasses
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. While the oven is preheating to 400° F, mix together the spice rub for the chicken wings in a small bowl. Set aside.

  2. Cover a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Method #1: Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray (this helps you remove wings after baking). Method #2: If you have an ovenproof wire rack, spray it with non-stick spray and place it on top of the aluminum foil. Rinse, then place wings on paper towels, and blot dry with additional paper towels. Once dry, place half the wings into a large bowl. Pour half the seasoning mixture onto wings in bowl. Mix, until covered on all sides with spice mix. Place coated wings in a single layer either on sprayed foil or sprayed wire rack. Repeat process with remaining wings.

  3. Bake the buffalo honey hot wings at 400° F. for 45-50 minutes. Once baked, turn oven setting to BROIL, and place baking sheet 6-8" from the broiler element. Broil wings until they reach crispness desired, then turn them over and do the same on the other side. Keep an eye on them to ensure they do not burn!

  4. A few minutes before the wings are done cooking, make the sauce. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Mix Frank's ORIGINAL Hot Sauce with cornstarch, and add this to the pan. Add honey and molasses; whisk ingredients to blend. Heat sauce until it comes to a boil, whisking or stirring often. Turn heat down to a low simmer. Continue to cook for 3-5 minutes until sauce slightly thickens, then taste test it. Want it sweeter? Add more honey. Want it spicier? Add more hot sauce.

  5. Once done, place hot wings in a large bowl.  Pour the sauce over them, and toss with a spoon or spatula to coat them fully. They are now ready to eat! Transfer to serving platter and serve with bleu cheese dressing, carrot and celery sticks! Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Buffalo Honey Hot Wings
Amount Per Serving (1 wing)
Calories 133 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 38mg13%
Sodium 442mg19%
Potassium 206mg6%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 220IU4%
Vitamin C 0.4mg0%
Calcium 57mg6%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Buffalo Honey Hot Wings are the perfect appetizer for a crowd! Yummy chicken wings are covered in a mild buffalo honey sauce, and are baked, not fried!

 


Feb
2019

Southwestern Chicken Soup

categories: Chicken, Lunch - Quick and Easy, Main Dishes, Soups
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You’ll love this delicious Southwestern Chicken Soup, a Weight Watchers dish with corn, black beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, and avocado slices!
You'll love this delicious Southwestern Chicken Soup, a Weight Watchers dish with corn, black beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, and avocado slices!

Recently I tried a new (to us) soup recipe that I found on Weight Watchers.  The soup sounded really good, and since it was freezing cold outside (the middle of winter), I decided to make some. A bowl of hot soup really warms a gal up on a chilly February evening!

Whoa! This Southwestern chicken soup tastes amazing! The portion size is large (1¾ cups per serving = 3 Smart Points), and is packed with corn, black beans, tomatoes, in a Southwestern spiced broth. Trust me- this is one flavor-packed bowl of soup!

If you enjoy Southwestern flavored dishes, chances are you will LOVE this hearty soup! It’s very easy to make, so you can be serving up steaming hot bowls of Southwestern chicken soup before you know it!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Southwestern Chicken Soup

Place one teaspoon of olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Heat oil on medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Lightly season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add to the pot.

Cook the chicken on all sides, stirring often, for approximately 5 minutes. The chicken should be very lightly browned and cooked all the way through. Once the chicken is done, remove it from pan with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a plate. Set chicken aside until later.

Cooking the chicken breast pieces for Southwestern chicken soup.

Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil back into the pan (the same one you cooked the chicken in). Heat oil on medium-high, then add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño to the pan.

Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until veggies have softened up a bit. Add the chili powder, minced garlic, and ground cumin to the pan, and stir to combine. Cook this mixture for an additional 30 seconds once combined.

Bell peppers, jalapeño and onions are cooked, to add to Southwestern chicken soup.

Spices for Southwestern chicken soup are added to onions, jalapeños and peppers in pan

Stir the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, black beans and corn into the soup. Bring the soup to a boil. Once soup begins to boil, put a lid on the pan, and turn the heat down to LOW. Continue to cook the Southwestern chicken soup on low heat (covered) for about 8-9 minutes. The veggies should be nice and tender at this point.

Broth, tomatoes and corn are added to the pan of Southwestern chicken soup.

Add The Cooked Chicken And Finish The Soup

Carefully add the cooked chicken pieces back into the hot Southwestern chicken soup. Stir the ingredients to combine, and continue to cook just until the chicken is fully heated through. It should only take about 2-3 minutes to reheat the chicken.

Remove the pot of soup from the heat, and stir in the fresh lime juice. The Southwestern Chicken Soup is now ready to garnish, then eat!

Cooked chicken pieces are added to the pot of Southwestern chicken soup.

See all those nice veggies and chicken chunks in this soup? You’re gonna enjoy this!

A ladle, full of yummy Southwestern chicken soup.

To Serve Southwestern Chicken Soup

When ready to serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Each serving of this hearty soup is 1¾ cups, so full bowls of Southwestern Chicken Soup are in order! Garnish each bowl of soup with 2 slices of ripe avocado, and a few cilantro leaves, and some crumbled corn chips. Grab a spoon and help yourself to a big bite of this delicious Southwestern chicken soup!

NOTE: The original Weight Watchers recipe did NOT use corn chips. I added 3 crumbled up corn chips to each bowl of soup, for a nice looking presentation and “crunch”. 

Southwestern Chicken Soup is served with avocado slices, corn chips and cilantro on top.

We really LOVED this soup!  My husband said this might have become his new FAVORITE soup! Wow! That’s saying a lot, since I make a lot of yummy soups! The leftovers were yummy, too! The soup will keep for 4 days in refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.

Sure do hope you will consider trying this Southwestern chicken soup. It is incredibly easy to make, and tastes absolutely wonderful. If you follow the Weight Watchers program to track your food intake, this recipe has a value of 3 Smart Points (without corn chips). Have a great day!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of soup recipes published, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original Recipe Source: https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/recipe/southwestern-chicken-soup/59779f66112c2b4e18b0fd84 

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Southwestern Chicken Soup
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 

You'll love this delicious Southwestern Chicken Soup, a Weight Watchers dish with corn, black beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, and avocado slices!

Category: Entree, Soup
Cuisine: Southwestern
Keyword: Southwestern chicken soup
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 401 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil , divided use
  • 1 pound chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) , cut in 1/2" cubes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 medium onion , chopped
  • 1 small green bell pepper , seeded and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 medium jalapeño pepper , seeded and chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 29 ounces chicken broth (reduced sodium) (this is two 14.5 oz. cans)
  • 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes , drained
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels (or fresh)
  • 15.25 ounces canned black beans , drained and rinsed
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 medium avocado , pitted, peeled, cut into 8 slices
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a large soup pot, on medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Lightly season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add to pan Cook chicken on all sides, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Chicken should be lightly browned and cooked all the way through. Once chicken is done, remove from pan, and transfer to a plate. Set chicken aside.

  2. Add remaining 1 teaspoon of oil back into the pan (the same one you cooked chicken in). Heat oil on medium-high, then add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until veggies have softened a bit. Stir in the chili powder, minced garlic, and ground cumin. Cook this mixture for an additional 30 seconds once combined. Stir in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, black beans and corn.

  3. Bring the soup to a boil. Once it boils, put a lid on the pan, and turn heat to LOW. Continue to cook soup on low heat (covered) for about 8-9 minutes. The veggies should be nice and tender.

  4. Carefully add the cooked chicken back into soup. Stir to combine, and continue to cook until chicken is heated through. This should take 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from the heat, and stir in the fresh lime juice. 

  5. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Each serving is 1¾ cups. Garnish each bowl of soup with 2 avocado slices, and a few cilantro leaves. You can also add a few crumbled corn chips (optional) if you want! Serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

OPTIONAL: You can crumble up two or three corn chips on top to garnish each bowl of soup. The corn chips are NOT included in caloric or WW points calculation.

Nutrition Facts
Southwestern Chicken Soup
Amount Per Serving (1 bowl (1¾ cups + 2 avocado slices per serving))
Calories 401 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 72mg24%
Sodium 1085mg47%
Potassium 1457mg42%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Fiber 12g50%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 38g76%
Vitamin A 1070IU21%
Vitamin C 41.4mg50%
Calcium 112mg11%
Iron 5.3mg29%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!You'll love this delicious Southwestern Chicken Soup, a Weight Watchers dish with corn, black beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, and avocado slices!


Feb
2019

Sweet and Sour Pork

categories: Asian, Main Dishes, Pork
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Who needs takeout when you can make this delicious Sweet and Sour Pork (with pineapple, onions and bell peppers) at home in about 30 minutes?
Who needs takeout when you can make this delicious Sweet and Sour Pork (with pineapple, onions and bell peppers) at home in about 30 minutes?

Recently I was taking an inventory of a freezer we have in our garage and found several thick boneless pork chops. I started searching for a “new” recipe I could make to use them, and stumbled upon this one for sweet and sour pork on Pinterest.

Note: If you don’t have the boneless pork chops, you can use a pork butt to make this dish, as well!

The original recipe came from Sabrina, on the blog “Dinner Then Dessert”, and I thought it sounded wonderful, since I have always LOVED sweet and sour pork!

Off into our kitchen I went, and in no time at all, we had this wonderful meal for dinner! The recipe is straightforward, easy to prepare, and absolutely DELICIOUS!

It’s fun to be able to share this recipe for sweet and sour pork with you today. If you are interested in reading a few legends about the origins of this favorite Chinese dish, you will want to check out this article.

Scroll Down For a Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Sweet And Sour Pork Sauce

Making the sauce for the sweet and sour pork couldn’t be any easier.  Place pineapple juice, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, cornstarch, soy sauce and food coloring (if using) in a medium sized dish. Whisk the sauce ingredients together until smooth. Set sauce aside.

NOTE: Notice the color of the sweet and sour pork sauce. I used the recommended 3 drops of food coloring which helped deepen the color of the sauce. If you choose to NOT use food coloring, that is totally okay, but remember… the sauce will have a bit less color to it!

The sauce for sweet and sour pork is easily made by whisking ingredients together in dish.

Preparing The Pork For Cooking

Prepare 3 bowls with the ingredients necessary to coat the pork pieces before cooking. One bowl, has corn starch, one has all purpose flour, and one has slightly beaten eggs.

Pork cubes and bowls with corn starch, eggs, and flour are ready to make sweet and sour pork!

Dredge the pork pieces in cornstarch (a couple pieces at a time), then dip in egg to cover, and then coat the pieces in flour.  As you finish each of the pieces of pork, place them onto a baking sheet.

Note: This step is fairly messy, as you dip each piece. Just keep at it! I try to use the same hand for dipping, and occasionally rinse or wipe some of the coating off that gets stuck on my fingers as I go!

Pieces of pork are coated in corn starch, then egg, and flour to make sweet and sour pork.

Pieces of pork are fully coated and are now ready to fry, to make sweet and sour pork.

Cooking The Sweet And Sour Pork

Pour oil into a large skillet to a depth of about 2-3 inches. Heat the oil on medium high heat until it is very hot (but not smoking).

TIP: You will need to cook the pork in batches, reheating oil in between batches! Don’t overcrowd the skillet, because you want the pork to cook evenly on all sides.

Carefully add the coated pork pieces into the hot oil.  Cook the pieces of pork for 2-3 minutes, turning once, until the meat is cooked through, is golden brown, and crispy on the outside.

Once done, carefully remove the pork with a slotted spoon (so oil drips back into skillet), and place onto a baking sheet.

The pork pieces for sweet and sour pork are fried in hot oil until browned and crispy.

To Finish The Sweet And Sour Pork

In a separate large skillet, add 2 Tablespoons oil, and heat on medium high. Once oil is hot, add the pineapple, bell peppers, and onion.  Cook the veggies, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. The veggies should still be tender, but still slightly crisp when done.

Pour the sweet and sour sauce into the skillet. Stir to combine, and continue to heat through.  The sauce will thicken slightly as it cooks.  Right before you are ready to serve, add the pork back into the skillet, and stir to combine.

Heat only until the pork is heated through, and then the sweet and sour pork is ready to serve!

Pineapple, onions, bell peppers and sauce are heated to coat the sweet and sour pork.

Arrange a bed of rice onto each serving dish, and then top it with some of the sweet and sour pork!

The finished sweet and sour pork is served in a bowl, on rice, with chopsticks on the side.

There you have it! Sweet and Sour Pork, for the win!  Sure hope you enjoy this delicious Chinese meal! Grab some chopsticks and dig in! It tastes wonderful!

Sweet and Sour Pork is served on top of rice, and is ready to eat.

My husband and I really enjoy this meal. The Asian-inspired sauce permeates everything with wonderful flavor, and the veggies and pork are so good! Hope you will consider making this delicious classic “takeout” dish for those you love! Have a great day!

Looking For More Asian-Inspired Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have many Asian-inspired recipes to choose from, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe Source: Sabrina, at https://dinnerthendessert.com/sweet-and-sour-pork/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Sweet and Sour Pork
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
Who needs takeout when you can make this delicious Sweet and Sour Pork (with pineapple, onions and bell peppers) at home in about 30 minutes?
Category: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: sweet and sour pork
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 458 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Sauce:
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 3 drops red food coloring (optional-I used it)
For Remainder of Dish:
  • 1½ pounds boneless thick cut pork chops (or pork butt) , cut into 3/4" chunks
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 2 large eggs , slightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • vegetable oil for frying pork (2-3" deep)
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil (for frying veggies)
  • 1 cup pineapple chunks
  • 1 red bell pepper , cut in 1" pieces
  • 1 green bell pepper , cut in 1" pieces
  • 1/2 yellow onion , cut in 1" pieces
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Make the sauce: Place pineapple juice, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, cornstarch, soy sauce and food coloring (if using) in a medium sized dish. Whisk ingredients until smooth. Set sauce aside.

  2. Prepare 3 bowls with ingredients to coat the pork pieces. One with corn starch, one with flour, and one with slightly beaten eggs. Dredge the pork pieces in cornstarch (a couple pieces at a time), then dip in egg to cover, and then coat the pieces in flour.  As you finish coating each piece, place onto a baking sheet.

  3. Pour oil into a large skillet to a depth of 2-3 inches. Heat oil on medium high heat until very hot (but not smoking). TIP: You will need to cook the pork in batches, reheating oil in between batches! Don't overcrowd the skillet, because you want the pork to cook evenly on all sides. Carefully add the coated pork pieces into hot oil.  Cook pork for 2-3 minutes, turning once, until cooked through, golden brown, and crispy on the outside. Once done, carefully remove the pork pieces with a slotted spoon (so oil drips back into skillet), and place onto a baking sheet. Repeat until all pork is cooked.

  4. In a separate large skillet, add 2 Tablespoons oil; heat on medium high. Once oil is hot, add pineapple, bell peppers, and onion.  Cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Veggies should be tender, and slightly crisp when done. Add sauce to skillet. Stir to combine, and heat through.  Sauce will thicken slightly as it cooks.  Right before you're ready to serve, add browned pork back into the skillet; stir to combine. Heat only until the pork is heated through, and then the sweet and sour pork is ready to eat! Serve on top of rice. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation made based on the use of pork butt.

Nutrition Facts
Sweet and Sour Pork
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 458 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 138mg46%
Sodium 290mg13%
Potassium 724mg21%
Carbohydrates 58g19%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 39g43%
Protein 25g50%
Vitamin A 895IU18%
Vitamin C 55.2mg67%
Calcium 66mg7%
Iron 2.8mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Who needs takeout when you can make this delicious Sweet and Sour Pork (with pineapple, onions and bell peppers) at home in about 30 minutes?


Jan
2019

Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles

categories: Asian, Main Dishes, Seafood
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Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles, with shrimp in an Asian-inspired sauce on spiralized zucchini noodles, is a delicious, low calorie dish!
Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles, with shrimp in an Asian-inspired sauce on spiralized zucchini noodles, is a delicious, low calorie dish!

Since receiving a spiralizer appliance with a gift card I was given, it’s been fun to search and try some new recipes using spiralized veggies. We really enjoyed a couple recent meals which featured Kung Pao Zoodles and a delicious Spiralized Carrot Salad in Lemon Ginger Dressing!

This recipe for sweet chili sesame shrimp zoodles was a wonderful experiment for me. Using zucchini noodles instead of pasta cuts down on the carbs, and significantly reduces the total calories of this meal.

The large shrimp are a delicious low calorie source of protein, and the amazing Asian inspired sauce only has three ingredients! This recipe is totally EASY to prepare, and tastes GREAT! Here’s how to make this dish:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Prepare The Zoodles

To make this dish, you will first need to spiralize the zucchini to make the noodles. If you have a spiralizer, process the zucchini using a spaghetti blade, for long noodles.  NOTE: If you do not own a spiralizer, you can use a vegetable peeler to peel the length of each zucchini, and slice into thin strands (spaghetti sized), if desired.

Place the “zoodles” into a colander, which is set on top of a large bowl.  Lightly sprinkle the zoodles with salt, and gently mix to combine.  Place the colander of zoodles (and bowl) into a refrigerator. Let the zoodles drain off their excess liquid for about 30 minutes.

When done, remove the zoodles from the fridge. Spread them out on a large dish towel. Blot the zoodles dry with another dish towel (or paper towels), trying to absorb most of the extra moisture. Set aside.

Zucchini is spiralized then patted dry to sweet chili sesame shrimp zoodles.

Make The Sweet Chili Sauce For The Sesame Shrimp Zoodles

The sweet chili sauce is VERY easy to make!  In a medium sized bowl, combine the sweet chili sauce (I used Mae Ploy), sesame oil, and low sodium soy sauce.

Whisk these 3 ingredients together until fully blended. Measure out 1/2 cup of the sauce, and transfer to another dish, to save for later!

Sweet chili sesame sauce is used to marinate shrimp for sesame shrimp zoodles.

Prepare The Shrimp

Rinse, peel and de-vein the shrimp (removing tails, as well). Drain well, then add the shrimp to the sweet chili sauce in the medium sized bowl. Toss the shrimp, to ensure they become fully coated with the sweet chili sauce.

Shrimp is cleaned, tails removed, then marinated in sweet chili sesame sauce for zoodles.

Cooking Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles

Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray, and turn heat to medium temperature. When the skillet is hot (but not smoking), add the shrimp in a single layer. NOTE: If making extra quantities of this dish, you can cook the shrimp in batches, re-spraying skillet between each batch.

Cook the shrimp on medium heat for 2 minutes, then turn the shrimp over and continue to cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. Spoon some of the sweet chili sauce over the top of each shrimp (the cooked side). Transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate, and cover, to keep warm.

The sesame shrimp is cooked in skillet, then removed from pan.

Turn the heat on the stove up to medium-high, and add the spiralized zucchini to the same skillet you cooked the shrimp in.

Cook the zoodles for 1 minute, then add the 1/2 cup of reserved sauce into the skillet. Give the zoodles a toss, to mix the sauce with the zucchini. Cook this mixture for 2 more minutes, tossing occasionally. Add the cooked shrimp to the skillet, and toss, to combine. Cook the sweet chili sesame shrimp zoodles until heated through ( a minute or two).

Zoodles are added to skillet, along with sesame shrimp and Asian sauce.

To Serve Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles

When the sweet chili sesame shrimp zoodles are heated through, they are ready to serve!  Use tongs to place zoodles and shrimp onto individual plates, or into serving bowls. Spoon any of the leftover sauce in the skillet onto the sesame shrimp zoodles, and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

Sweet chili sesame shrimp zoodles, served with green onion garnish, in white bowl.

Sesame seeds and green onions garnish the sweet chili sesame shrimp zoodles.

I really hope you will consider trying this delicious recipe for sweet chili sesame shrimp zoodles! We really enjoyed this meal, and trust you will, too! Have a wonderful day, friends.

Interested In More SHRIMP Recipes?

You can find all my seafood recipe in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite shrimp recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe Adapted From: https://iowagirleats.com/2017/06/14/sweet-chili-sesame-shrimp-and-zoodles/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Total Time
27 mins
 
Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles, with shrimp in an Asian-inspired sauce on spiralized zucchini noodles, is a delicious, low calorie dish!
Category: Dinner, Seafood
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: sesame shrimp zoodles
Servings: 2
Calories Per Serving: 391 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 3 medium zucchini , end trimmed
  • 7 Tablespoons sweet chili sauce , I used Mae Ploy
  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce , or Tamari sauce
  • 1½ teaspoons sesame oil
  • 3/4 pound large shrimp , peel, deveined, patted dry
For Garnish (optional):
  • 1 stem green onion (scallion) , sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Spiralize the zucchini to make noodles. If you have a spiralizer, process the zucchini using a spaghetti blade.  NOTE: If you don't own a spiralizer, you can use a vegetable peeler to peel the length of each zucchini, and then slice into thin strands (spaghetti sized). Place zoodles in a colander, set on top of a large bowl.  Lightly sprinkle with salt; gently mix to combine.  Place the colander of zoodles (and bowl) into refrigerator. Let the zoodles drain their extra liquid for about 30 minutes. When done, spread zoodles onto a dish towel. Blot dry with another dish towel (or paper towels), trying to absorb any extra moisture. Set aside.

  2. In a medium sized bowl, combine the sweet chili sauce, sesame oil, and low sodium soy sauce. Whisk them together until fully blended. Measure out 1/2 cup of the sauce, and transfer to another dish, to reserve for later! 

  3. Rinse, peel and de-vein shrimp (removing tails, as well). Drain well, then add them to the sweet chili sauce in the medium sized bowl. Toss the shrimp, to ensure they become fully coated with the sauce.

  4. Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray, and turn heat to medium. When skillet is hot (but not smoking), add the shrimp in a single layer. NOTE: If making extra quantities, you can cook shrimp in batches, re-spraying skillet between each batch. Cook shrimp on medium heat for 2 minutes, then turn shrimp over and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Spoon a little bit of the sweet chili sauce over the top of each shrimp while cooking (cooked side). Transfer shrimp to a plate; keep warm.

  5. Turn the heat on stove to medium-high. Add zucchini noodles to the skillet you cooked the shrimp in. Cook for 1 minute, then add the reserved sauce. Give zoodles a toss, to coat with the sauce. Cook for 2 more minutes, tossing occasionally. Add cooked shrimp to the skillet, and toss, to combine. Cook until heated through (1-2 minutes), then transfer to serving plates.  Spoon any leftover sauce in the skillet onto the shrimp, and garnish dish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

I used 2 green zucchini, and 1 yellow zucchini for this dish.

Nutrition Facts
Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 391 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 428mg143%
Sodium 3002mg131%
Potassium 960mg27%
Carbohydrates 41g14%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 36g40%
Protein 40g80%
Vitamin A 590IU12%
Vitamin C 59.6mg72%
Calcium 309mg31%
Iron 5.5mg31%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles, with shrimp in an Asian-inspired sauce on spiralized zucchini noodles, is a delicious, low calorie dish!


Jan
2019

Dover Sole Fillets with Mango Avocado Salsa

categories: Main Dishes, Seafood
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Dover Sole Fillets with Mango Avocado Salsa is an easy, quick (under 25 minutes) and low-calorie meal, with seasoned pan-seared fish topped with a light, fresh salsa!
Dover Sole Fillets with Mango Avocado Salsa is an easy, quick (under 25 minutes) meal, with seasoned pan-seared fish topped with light, fresh salsa!

Recently I was on the phone with my sister Julie, who lives in Florida. She told me about about a spice mixture for fish she had seen (and used) in a recipe for tilapia with papaya salsa. She read me the 4 easy ingredients for the spices from her cookbook, and I jotted them down.

We chatted a bit about fruit salsas using papaya or mango to top the fish, and it started me brainstorming once our call ended. I decided to create a recipe pulling this information together, but with a couple tweaks!

My slight twist was to use Dover sole (instead of tilapia) for the fish, and mango (instead of papaya) as the primary fruit for the salsa.

I’ve made FRUIT salsa several times over the years, so I used that as my inspiration. This recipe for Dover sole fillets with mango avocado salsa is the result! YUM!!!

The recipe itself is incredibly EASY to prepare. Dover sole fillets are lightly seasoned, pan-seared in a skillet, and then served with an absolutely delicious mango avocado salsa on top! This dish is quick to fix, low in calories, and huge in flavor! Here’s how easy it is to make!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Mango Avocado Salsa For the Dover Sole Fillets

To make the salsa, you will first need to place all the salsa ingredients except the mango and avocado in a medium sized bowl. These ingredients are mango (cut into cubes), avocado (cut into cubes), cilantro, red onion, bell pepper, lime juice, and jalapeño.

How To Cut A Mango Into Cubes For The Salsa

Mangoes have a very large pit in the center, so you need to cut from top to bottom on either side of the pit.

Once you have the mango cut, take a paring knife and carefully slice “grid lines” through the fruit, being careful to not cut all the way though the skin.

Once the cubes are cut, turn the mango inside out (the middle photo below), by holding both ends and flipping it with your fingers.

You can then easily cut the mango cubes off the skin, and add it to the salsa ingredients in bowl.

Cutting mango into cubes to make salsa for dover sole fillets.

How To Cut An Avocado Into Cubes For The Salsa

Slice the avocado from top to bottom. Remove seed (you can do this by carefully smacking a knife blade into the seed, then turning to twist and remove seed from avocado.

Using a paring knife, carefully cut gridlines both ways in each avocado half, being careful to not cut all the way through to the peel. Slice top to bottom, and side to side.

Once you have the gridlines cut both ways, take a large spoon, and carefully go around the edges of the avocado, and scoop out the cubes. Add them to the mango salsa in the bowl.

Cutting avocado into cubes to add to mango salsa for dover sole fillets.

Give the mango avocado salsa a stir. The photo below shows what the mango avocado salsa (for the dover sole fillets) looked like once combined.

Mango avocado salsa, which will top the cooked dover sole fillets.

Prepare The Dover Sole Fillets

Combine the spice mix for the Dover sole fillets in a small bowl.  The spice mix only has four ingredients: Salt, ground coriander, paprika, and a tiny bit of cayenne pepper.

Spice rub is mixed together to season dover sole fillets.

Lay the Dover sole fillets out, and blot them dry with a paper towel.

Dover sole fillets are patted dry before adding the seasoning.

Sprinkle each of the Dover sole fillets lightly with the spice mix.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), carefully add the fish..

You can cook the Dover sole fillets in batches, if necessary, because they will cook quickly. After a couple minutes you’ll see the bottom edges of the fish are getting golden and crispy.

Carefully turn the fish over. Continue cooking the other side until done (this will only take a couple minutes).

The lightly seasoned dover sole fillets are pan-seared in skillet.

Dover sole fillets are carefully turned over to cook the other side, once browned.

Ready To Serve And EAT!

When the Dover sole fillets are cooked through, remove from skillet, and transfer to individual serving plates.  Top each serving with a good sized portion of the mango avocado salsa, and serve!

The mildly seasoned Dover sole fillets pair really well with the creamy avocado, the sweet mango, and the other flavorful salsa ingredients!  Every bite of this dish tasted wonderful, and we enjoyed it with some steamed rice on the side!

Dover sole fillets with mango avocado salsa are served, with rice on the side.

The cooked dover sole fillets are topped with mango avocado salsa to serve.

I really hope you will try this delicious recipe for Dover sole fillets with mango avocado salsa! May you, and those you love, enjoy this “made with love” meal! Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More SEAFOOD Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some wonderful seafood dishes to enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe Adapted From: The cookbook titled “Favorite Brand Name Recipes-All New Low Carb”, Volume 7- #27, Published by Publications International, LTD, 2003, page 42

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Dover Sole with Mango Avocado Salsa
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
7 mins
Total Time
22 mins
 
Dover Sole Fillets with Mango Avocado Salsa is an easy, quick (under 25 minutes) meal, with seasoned pan-seared fish topped with light, fresh salsa!
Category: Entree-Seafood
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Dover sole fillets
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 198 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Mango Avocado Salsa:
  • 1 large mango , peeled, cubed
  • 1/3 cup cilantro , chopped
  • 1/4 cup red onion , chopped
  • 1/4 cup green bell pepper , chopped
  • 1/2 medium jalapeno , seeded, finely chopped
  • 1/2 large lime (juice of)
  • 1 avocado , peeled, cubed
For Fish:
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil , to cook fish in
  • 4 (4 oz. each) Dover Sole fillets (skinless)
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper , or more if you want heat
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Prepare the mango avocado salsa, by gently mixing all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. (see blog post for tips on cubing the mango and avocado). Set aside.

  2. Combine the spice mix (paprika, salt, cayenne, coriander) in a small bowl.

  3. Blot fillets dry with paper towels. Sprinkle each fillet lightly with the spice mix, and pat down.  Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet on medium. Once oil is hot (but not smoking), carefully add the fish. Cook the fish in batches, if necessary, because they will cook quickly. After a couple minutes the bottom edges will be golden in color and crispy. Carefully turn the fish over. Continue cooking the other side until done (this will only take a couple minutes).

  4. When the Dover sole fillets are cooked through, remove from skillet, and transfer fish to individual serving plates.  Top each serving with a good sized portion of the mango avocado salsa, and serve! Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Dover Sole with Mango Avocado Salsa
Amount Per Serving (1 fillet with salsa)
Calories 198 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 51mg17%
Sodium 776mg34%
Potassium 467mg13%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 505IU10%
Vitamin C 13.6mg16%
Calcium 30mg3%
Iron 0.6mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Dover Sole Fillets with Mango Avocado Salsa is an easy, quick (under 25 minutes) meal, with seasoned pan-seared fish topped with light, fresh salsa!


Jan
2019

Sesame Chicken Salad with Ginger Dressing

categories: Chicken, Main Dish Salads, Main Dishes, Salads
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This simple, delicious Asian-inspired Sesame Chicken Salad features pan seared sesame crusted chicken breasts, on mixed spring greens, topped with homemade ginger salad dressing!
Delicious Asian-inspired Sesame Chicken Salad features pan seared sesame crusted chicken breasts, on spring greens, topped w/ a ginger salad dressing!

Wow… this sesame chicken salad with homemade ginger dressing tastes AMAZING! I found the original recipe in one of my OLD Weight Watchers cookbooks, while looking through it a couple weeks ago, and KNEW I wanted to try it!

This salad was a huge hit with my husband and I when we first tried it! Talk about quick and easy meals… this one has it all! The entirely EASY sesame chicken salad (and ginger dressing) was prepared in under 30 minutes, had GREAT flavor, and filled us up!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Ginger Dressing For The Sesame Chicken Salad

The yummy ginger salad dressing for this salad is incredibly simple to make, in only a few minutes! Place the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, minced ginger, mustard powder, sesame oil and crushed red pepper into a small saucepan, and whisk to blend.

Bring the ginger salad dressing ingredients just to a boil, on medium heat. Once it begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat. Set the pan aside, until you’re ready to serve the sesame chicken salad. See how easy that was?

Ginger salad dressing is cooked until blended for sesame chicken salad.

Prepare The  Chicken Breasts For Sesame Chicken Salad

Place the sesame seeds, salt and pepper onto  a large piece of wax paper. Mix them with your fingers, to blend the ingredients. Spread them out on the wax paper.

Lightly coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the sesame seed mixture, one at a time. Set chicken aside once coated. Repeat, until all chicken breasts are covered. NOTE: I found that I needed to use more sesame seeds to cover all 4 chicken breasts. Just mix up another quick batch, if you find you will need more topping.

Spices and sesame seeds are used to coat chicken breasts for sesame chicken salad.

Cook The Sesame Chicken

Heat the vegetable oil in a large, non-stick skillet on medium heat. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the chicken breasts. Once the chicken hits the pan, do not disturb while it cooks.

Cook the sesame chicken for about 4-6 minutes, then carefully turn over and cook the other side 4-6 minutes.  The chicken should be cooked through, and the outside should be golden brown, when done. Once the chicken is done, place the pieces onto a cutting board, and let the chicken “rest” for 3-5 minutes. Slice each chicken breast into diagonal slices (about 4-6 slices per breast).

Boneless chicken breasts, coated in sesame seeds are pan seared for sesame chicken salad.

Serve The Sesame Chicken Salad With Ginger Dressing

Arrange cold, mixed salad greens on individual serving plates or in bowls. Use a spatula and transfer each sliced chicken breast onto the top of each salad. Be sure to keep the chicken slices for each breast all together! Lightly sprinkle sliced green onions over the top of each piece of sesame chicken.

Salad greens arranged in bowl, then topped with sliced sesame chicken and green onions.

Drizzle the ginger salad dressing over each sesame chicken salad, and that’s it! You are ready to serve this delicious dish! Serve immediately. Seriously – Grab a fork, and DIG IN! I really think you will LOVE this delicious meal!  There is a lot of flavor, the chicken is tender, and this sesame chicken salad is quite satisfying!

Sesame chicken salad with ginger dressing, served in a white bowl.

A side view of the ginger chicken salad with ginger dressing in white bowl.

My husband and I enjoyed this dinner, AND we liked it so much we had another sesame chicken salad (with the leftover chicken and dressing) the next night for dinner, too! That means it REALLY was good!

Hope you will try this delicious main course salad… it is truly easy and delicious! Have a GREAT day, and please come back again soon for more yummy recipes!

Looking For More MAIN COURSE SALAD Recipes?

You can find all my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite main course salad recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original Recipe source: One of my cookbooks titled “Weight Watchers – Great Cooking Every Day”, published 2001, by Weight Watchers International, Inc., page 45

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Sesame Chicken Salad with Ginger Dressing
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Total Time
22 mins
 

Delicious Asian-inspired Sesame Chicken Salad features pan seared sesame crusted chicken breasts, on spring greens, topped with a ginger salad dressing!

Category: Main Course Salad
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: sesame chicken salad
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 237 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Ginger Dressing:
  • 2 Tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger peeled, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil (dark)
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
For The Chicken And Salad
  • 3 Tablespoons sesame seeds (white) , or more, as needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 4 chicken breast halves (1/4 lb. each) boneless, skinless
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 6 cups spring greens mix (or romaine) , rinsed, shredded
  • 1/4 cup sliced green onions , optional (for garnish)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
To Make Ginger Salad Dressing:

  1. Place soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, minced ginger, mustard powder, sesame oil and crushed red pepper in a small saucepan, and whisk, to blend. Bring to a boil, on medium heat. Once it begins to boil, remove pan from heat. Set aside.

To Prepare/Cook Chicken:

  1. Place sesame seeds, salt and pepper onto a piece of wax paper. Mix with your fingers, to blend. Spread them out on the wax paper. Lightly coat chicken on both sides with the mixture. Repeat process until all chicken breasts are covered. NOTE: I found that I needed to use more sesame seeds to cover all 4 chicken breasts. Just mix up another quick batch, if you find you need more.

  2. Heat vegetable oil in a large, non-stick skillet on medium heat. Once oil is hot (but not smoking), add the chicken. Once the chicken hits the pan, do not disturb while it cooks. Cook chicken for 4-6 minutes, then carefully turn over and cook the other side 4-6 minutes.  The chicken should be cooked through, and the outside should be golden brown, when done. Once done, place chicken on a cutting board, and let it "rest" for a couple minutes. Slice each chicken breast into diagonal slices (about 4-6 slices per breast).

  3. To Serve: Arrange mixed salad greens on individual plates or in bowls. Use a spatula and transfer each sliced chicken breast onto the top of each salad, keeping the slices for each breast together! Sprinkle sliced green onions over chicken. Drizzle ginger dressing over each salad, and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Sesame Chicken Salad with Ginger Dressing
Amount Per Serving (1 salad with dressing)
Calories 237 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 72mg24%
Sodium 707mg31%
Potassium 565mg16%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 26g52%
Vitamin A 755IU15%
Vitamin C 15.3mg19%
Calcium 72mg7%
Iron 1.9mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards! This delicious Asian-inspired Sesame Chicken Salad features pan seared sesame crusted chicken breasts, on spring greens, topped w/ a ginger salad dressing!


Jan
2019

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

categories: Casseroles, Chicken, Main Dishes, Mexican / Southwestern
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You’ll love this easy to make Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rigatoni noodles, chicken, corn, black beans, and cheese, baked in a Southwestern flavored sauce!
You'll love this easy Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rigatoni, chicken, corn, black beans, and cheese, baked in a Southwestern flavored sauce!

Can I get a shout out for the humble, yet delicious casserole dishes that have made mealtimes easier for home cooks everywhere? This Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole is a perfectly simple but absolutely lip-smackin’ delicious casserole that will leave you smiling!

I found the original recipe on Pinterest, and loved that you can use pre-cooked (think rotisserie or leftover) chicken. By using pre-cooked chicken, and canned corn and black beans, you’ve already saved yourself some time!

Making this fiesta chicken pasta casserole recipe is as simple as cooking pasta, whisking together a simple Southwestern flavored sauce, stirring in the rest of the ingredients, then baking it! The recipe is really quite simple. Let me show you how to make this yummy meal!

Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At The bottom Of The Page

How To Make Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

The first thing you will need to do is spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray, then set the dish aside.  Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cook the rigatoni pasta in 4 quarts of lightly salted water. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

NOTE: No rigatoni? No problem! You can easily substitute rotini (spiral) pasta or penne pasta in this dish!

Cooking rigatoni for the fiesta chicken pasta casserole.

While the pasta noodles are cooking, mix together salsa, light sour cream, garlic powder, ground cumin, and onion powder in a medium sized bowl.

Mixing together the Southwestern sauce used in the fiesta chicken pasta casserole.

Building The Casserole

When the pasta is done cooking, drain it well, and pour it into a large mixing bowl.  Add the sauce to the pasta in the bowl, and give it a good stir to mix it together. Once the sauce and pasta are combined, add the drained corn, black beans, cooked chicken (shredded or cubed), and ONE CUP of grated cheddar cheese.

Reserve the remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese to use later. Gently stir the fiesta chicken pasta casserole together, until all ingredients are coated with sauce and are thoroughly combined.

Sauce, corn, black beans, cheese and chicken is added to the fiesta chicken pasta casserole.

Time To Bake The Casserole

Pour the fiesta chicken pasta casserole ingredients evenly into the baking dish, and spread out, to cover. Evenly distribute the remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese across the top of the casserole. 

Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 25 minutes. About 10 minutes before the cooking time is done, remove the foil and finish cooking the fiesta chicken pasta casserole.

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole is covered with grated cheese, then baked.

Once the casserole is finished cooking, remove it from the oven. The cheese will be melted, and the casserole will be slightly bubbly around the edges.

Fiesta chicken pasta casserole, right out of the oven, after baking.

To Serve Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

Garnish the fiesta chicken pasta casserole with some sliced green onions (or chives, as shown), and chopped tomatoes. If desired, you can also add avocado slices for flavor and color. The casserole is now ready to serve! The recipe serves 8 (modest portions), or 6, if serving larger portions!

The baked fiesta chicken pasta casserole is garnished with tomatoes and chives before serving.

The only thing left to do is dig into this absolutely delicious fiesta chicken pasta casserole! It has WONDERFUL flavor, and is not too spicy… trust me! The black beans add additional protein, and together with the corn, help to make this a well-rounded, nice and filling meal! It is SO GOOD!

An individual portion of fiesta chicken pasta casserole is served in a white bowl.

I really hope you will consider trying this fiesta chicken pasta casserole. My husband and I LOVED it! Guess what? The leftovers tasted fantastic, too! I really think you will love this easy to make recipe, too! Have a wonderful day!

Looking For More CASSEROLE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of casserole recipes you’ll enjoy, including:

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Original Recipe Source: https://togetherasfamily.com/fiesta-chicken-casserole/

5 from 1 vote
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Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
You'll love this easy to make Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rigatoni noodles, chicken, corn, black beans, and cheese, baked in a Southwestern flavored sauce!
Category: Entree - Casserole
Cuisine: Southwestern
Keyword: fiesta chicken pasta casserole
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 385 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2¼ cups uncooked rigatoni pasta (can substitute spiral or penne pasta
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1 cup light sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 15 ounces whole kernel corn (1 can) , drained
  • 15 ounces black beans (1 can) , drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups cooked chicken breasts , shredded or cubed
  • 2 cups grated cheddar cheese , divided
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, then set aside. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

  2. Cook pasta in 4 quarts of lightly salted water. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

  3. While the pasta is cooking, mix together salsa, light sour cream, garlic powder, ground cumin, and onion powder in a medium sized bowl.

  4. When pasta is done, drain, and pour it into a large mixing bowl.  Add the sauce; stir to combine. Add drained corn, black beans, cooked chicken (shredded or cubed), and ONE CUP of the grated cheddar cheese. Reserve remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese to use later. Gently stir, until all ingredients are coated with sauce and are thoroughly combined. Pour into the baking dish, spreading to cover. Sprinkle remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese across the top of the casserole.  Cover dish with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 minutes. About 10 minutes before the cooking time is done, remove the foil and finish cooking.

  5. Remove finished casserole from oven. Garnish with sliced green onions (or chives), and chopped tomatoes. If desired, you can also add avocado slices. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation was calculated based on using light sour cream. Regular sour cream will work perfectly, but will increase calorie count for each portion.

Nutrition Facts
Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/8 of total))
Calories 385 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 69mg23%
Sodium 657mg29%
Potassium 597mg17%
Carbohydrates 37g12%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 26g52%
Vitamin A 680IU14%
Vitamin C 5.2mg6%
Calcium 285mg29%
Iron 2.3mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!You'll love this easy Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rigatoni, chicken breast, corn, black beans, and cheese, baked in a Southwestern flavored sauce!