Balsamic Glazed Sirloin

This is another recipe that I found in my latest Clean Eating Magazine.  They have a lovely picture that some food stylist spent hours on I'm sure.  The picture did it's job though because I couldn't wait to make the recipe at home.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly (like I ever do) because I didn't want to buy things like safflower oil, which I would only ever use for this recipe.  I was a little disappointed with this.  The vinegar taste was a little overwhelming but I did like the way the steak came out.  I feel like a spoon of brown sugar would go a long way with this dish.

Balsamic Glazed Sirloin:
(adapted from Clean Eating Magazine, March 2012)
4 servings, 7 WW+

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet onions
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed of any fat
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/3 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Ground black pepper to taste
1 carton sliced mushrooms

In a small bowl combine the vinegar, onions, Worcestershire sauce, and chili powder.  In a large pan add the sirloin and top with 2 tablespoons or the vinegar mixture, turning to coat.  Marinate for 15 minutes, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, fill a pot with 2 inches or water and insert a steamer basket.  Steam the potatoes  until tender, about 13 minutes.

Carefully remove the potatoes and dump out the water.  Transfer the potatoes back into the pot and beat with an electric mixer.  Add the milk, salt, brown sugar, and ground ginger.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Remove the sirloin from the marinade and add to the skillet.  Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, transfer to a cutting board, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Add the remaining vinegar mixture and the mushrooms to the skillet, bring to a boil and let cook for 1-2 minutes until reduced, scraping and stirring with a wooden spoon constantly.  Remove from the heat and add the remaining salt and pepper.  Slice the sirloin against the grain.  Serve with the mashed potatoes and reduced vinegar sauce.

Crispy Chicken Sandwich

I love chicken, who doesn't?  This was another recipe that I found in one of the many magazines on my book shelf.  I was amazed with just how crispy this chicken stayed.  I ended up just eating the chicken breast with a side salad, but Mr. T ate his as a sandwich.

Crispy Chicken Sandwich:
(adapted from Clean Eating Magazine- March 2011)


1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 cup whole-wheat panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 whole-grain sandwich buns
Lettuce
Tomato

Whisk together egg whites, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper.  In a shallow pan add the bread crumbs.  In another pan add the flour.

Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, shaking off the excess, then in the egg, and finally in the bread crumbs, gently pressing the bread crumbs into the chicken.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and fully cooked.

Sautéed Fish Sticks

I don't usually talk about the failures I have in the kitchen.  I don't know why, I guess it's because I don't know who would want to read about it.  I wasn't going to blog this but a couple of my friends convinced me to go ahead and share this recipe and share what went wrong with it in my eyes.

Sauteed Fish Sticks:
(Clean Eating Magazine)


Ingredients:
1 slice whole-grain bread
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 egg
3/4 lb boneless, skinless tilapia fillet, rinsed with cold water and patted dry

Directions:
In a food processor, process bread into crumbs. Set aside.

Crack egg into a medium bowl. Chop tilapia as finely as possible and add to egg. Add 1/4 cup bread crumbs to tilapia mixture, then use hands to thoroughly combine.

Divide fish mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a rectangular stick about 2 1/2 inches long. Pour another 1/4 cup bread crumbs into a large or flat-bottomed soup bowl. Dredge each stick in bread crumbs, pressing lightly to coat both sides.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet for 1 minute on medium. Add fish sticks to pan and cook, covered, for 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown.














Use heatproof tongs to gently flip sticks over and cook for another 3 minutes or until both sides are golden brown.

Here were my issues:
1.  My pan got WAY too hot and everything burned.  Awesome.
2.  The texture was off.  I don't know if it's because I didn't chop my fish up enough or what.
3.  The fish were kind of bland.  It's an easy fix but I still wanted to throw it out there.

I think that these could be really good and I think that kids would love this.  I'm not sure that I'm going to try to make them again but here the recipe is so that you can be your own judge.

Buffalo Yogurt Dressing

It's been like 900 degrees outside thanks to those pesky hurricanes in the Atlantic. I was not in the mood to cook a giant dinner on Sunday night so we opted for a salad. I threw some veggies in a bowl, broiled some chicken breast, and topped it with this great salad dressing.

Buffalo Yogurt Dressing:
(Clean Eating Magazine: March 2011)

1/2 cup Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons Buffalo Sauce
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 onion
Salt
Pepper

Chop the onion some so it'll blend easier.  Place everything in a blender. Mix unto it's a smooth consistency.















Serve on top of your salad!

Southwest Cheddar Steak Fries

I made steak fries the other night.  I usually make ranch fries but in my quest to try new recipes  I decided to go with this recipe from Clean Eating Magazine.  They were great and the red bell pepper really added flavor to the steak fries.

















Southwest Cheddar Steak Fries:(Clean Eating Magazine)

Ingredients:
1 lb red or yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch wedges
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 oz reduced fat shredded cheddar
1/2 cup finely minced red bell pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place the potatoes in a ziploc bag.  Add the olive oil, paprika, and garlic.  Toss inside the bag until all of the potatoes are covered.  Arrange the potatoes in a single layer. Bake in the center of the oven for 10 minutes, then flip and stir, baking for 7 more minutes or until lightly golden brown and tender when pierced with a fork.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese, pepper, and salt. Bake for 2 more minutes or until slightly melted.

Lemon-Chive Tilapia

In my quest to use some of my old cookbooks and cooking magazines I found this recipe for tilapia, and you all know how much my household eats tilapia.

This was easy to make and except for the fact that my fish stuck to the pan it turned out great.

Lemon-Chive Tilapia:
(Clean Eating Magazine- June 2011)

4 boneless tilapia fillets
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch chives, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Juice of a lemon

In a small bowl mix together lemon juice, chives, and salt. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and let lightly brown. Add the tilapia and cook for 3 minutes then flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until it's opaque.

Serve each fillet with a tablespoon of the lemon chive sauce on top.

Sesame-Crusted Tilapia

This is another recipe that I found in Clean Eating Magazine. I love tilapia fillets and I'm always looking for a new way to eat them.  This has quickly become one of my favorites. 

It took about 10 minutes to make, which is perfect for a week night meal.

Sesame-Crusted Tilapia:
(Clean Eating Magazine, March 2011)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons olive oil
½  teaspoon sesame oil
4 6-ounce tilapia fillets
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 425 degrees..

In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, soy sauce, 2 teaspoons ginger, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and ½ teaspoon sesame oil.  Place tilapia in a shallow baking pan lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick spray.  Pour marinade over top, coating both sides of the fish.  Sprinkle sesame seeds evenly over the top and bake for 8 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Pour lime juice over the top of the fish when serving.  

Moroccan Chickpea Salad

I recently started getting Clean Eating Magazine in the mail.  It's full of fantastic recipes and so far I've enjoyed everything that I've tried.  It's forcing me to get outside of the box with my eating, while being healthier at the same time.


I've never been a huge fan of whole chick peas.  I know that they're good for you but the texture throws me a little.  This salad made me think about changing my mind.

Moroccan Chickpea Salad:
(Clean Eating Magazine, March 2011)
Serves 6          

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¼ teaspoon sea salt and ground pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
3 cups BPA-free canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
¼ cup of chopped cilantro and chopped mint
1/3 cup crumbled low-fat feta cheese

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

In a large bowl, combine chickpeas, carrot, onion, tomatoes, red pepper, cilantro, mint, and feta cheese. 

          

Pour lemon juice dressing over chickpea mixture and toss to combine.  Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.